Moving forward, the Boston Celtics will need to make some choices. The most important one is the matter of Jrue Holiday. The Celtics have the option to extend Holiday’s $37.4 million player option. Dan Favale of Bleacher Report outlined the reasons why extending Holiday ought to be Boston’s top priority.
In a piece published on March 21, Favale stated, “The Celtics should be uniquely motivated to get an agreement done.” “To start with, if the 33-year-old declines his $40.2 million player option and leaves in free agency, they won’t have the money to start replacing him.”
Favale outlined the reasons the Celtics must sign him at a reasonable fee.
“Equally important: Softening the second-apron intractability for next season is extending him on a contract that gets him to decline the option and sign for a reduced annual figure over the longer term.
On the surface, this could appear to be a minor issue. Is it really that important if Holiday cuts roughly $10 million from his yearly average if Boston can’t avoid taking the second apron?
“Next season? Not in that way. However, having his number set for the remainder of this year allows the front office to schedule around a concrete cap sheet. That has value, but the value of just ensuring that Holiday stays put is far greater.
Holiday has made the All-Star team twice in his career – 2013 and 2023 – and won a title with the Milwaukee Bucks. As Favale wrote, the Celtics won’t be able to replace him if he leaves.
Jrue Holiday Confided in Ex-Celtic Before Trade
The Bucks traded Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers before they traded him to the Celtics. Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups revealed to The Athletic’s Jay King what he and Holiday discussed before Portland traded the latter to Boston.
“I had a conversation — a long, good conversation with him — just about I know it was a little tough spot for him, being traded, kind of being blindsided by that,” Billups told King in a March 12 story. “I’ve been there before. So just being able to rap with him like that because I know him. And it was important for me that a good person like him, who’s been great on every team and every community that he’s lived in, for him to be treated properly and be put in a great position and a great spot.”
Holiday talked about what his conversation with Billups meant to him.
“It meant a lot,” Holiday told King. “Being able to see a coach that has my best interests (in mind). And you could see it, and you could hear it, which a lot of times, maybe some players don’t get a chance to see that from a coach. So he definitely had my best interest (at heart) from the beginning. And he just always looked out for me.”
Jrue Holiday Will Not Play vs. Pistons
Holiday missed the Celtics game against the Bucks on March 20. It appears he won’t be around for their next game against the Pistons. The Celtics’ official X account confirmed that Holiday won’t play.
