Jrue Holiday may be inching closer to wearing a different uniform.
The Boston Celtics have set their asking price in any potential trade of the veteran guard Holiday, longtime NBA writer Matt Moore wrote to Substack on Monday. Boston is seeking a first-round draft pick in exchange for Holiday (along with whatever reduced salary comes back in the deal).
Holiday, who will be turning 35 later this week, joined the Celtics in 2023 in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers (who had acquired Holiday from Milwaukee as part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster). He has had a nice two seasons in Boston since then, including as a starter on the Celtics’ 2024 NBA championship team.
The two-time All-Star Holiday is known for his superb one-on-one defense and also still has an ability to create his own shot. This season for Boston, Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game in a lower-usage role.
But the Celtics, who lost in the second round this year and could be without star player Jayson Tatum (Achilles tear) for the entire 2025-26 season as well, are all about trimming payroll right now. As such, Holiday and several other well-known Boston players are said to be likely trade candidates this summer.
Holiday does come with concerns, particularly when it comes to age and durability (having gone seven consecutive seasons now without hitting 70 games played). But a first-round pick in exchange for Holiday is a fairly reasonable ask by the Celtics, who are expected to hold onto at least three other key players on their roster this offseason.
