Celtics agree to monster extension with former All-Star

Dec 17, 2021; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; The Boston Celtics logo is seen before their game against the Golden State Warriors at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports

The Boston Celtics are making sure that their big offseason trade acquisition does not end up as a one-year rental.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Wednesday that guard Jrue Holiday has agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension with the Celtics. The move will keep Holiday in Boston through 2028.

Holiday, a two-time career All-Star and five-time All-Defensive selection, arrived in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers over the offseason (the Blazers had acquired Holiday from the Bucks as part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster). He could have left the Celtics in free agency this summer by turning down his $37.4 million player option for next season. But his new extension will now effectively replace that year and tack on an extra three.

With an average annual value of just under $34 million on that extension, the Celtics are actually saving some money on Holiday for next season. But to give out that kind of massive contract to a soon-to-be 34-year-old (and one who hasn’t played 70 games in a season since 2017-18) is very risky. Holiday is also currently posting his lowest numbers in a decade at 12.5 points and 4.9 assists per contest (though that may be because of the offensive firepower that the Celtics have around him).

Still, Holiday remains one of the NBA’s premier defenders and is hitting the three at a career-high rate this season (43.1 percent). The Celtics want to maximize their current championship window and are keeping Holiday around for the chance to stick it to his former team by winning it all.