A few NBA players signed lucrative multi-year contracts with their current teams, the Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns signing Jrue Holiday and Grayson Allen.
In his analysis of the new deals for Holiday and Allen, NBA expert Kevin O’Connor of the Ringer explained how their contracts might eventually be used as trade chips by the Suns and the Celtics.
After a 64-18 season that guaranteed them homecourt advantage for the remainder of the postseason, the Celtics decided to sign Holiday, who is probably their greatest perimeter lockdown defender, to a four-year, $135 million contract, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Wojnarowski then revealed five days later, on April 15, that Allen had signed a four-year, $70 million contract with the Suns, guaranteeing the playoff-bound team his services for the ensuing few years as a developing 3-and-D.
Two competent guards from the free-agency class of 2024 were taken by this pair of extensions completed right before the postseason. Furthermore, the other guards that are available in the free agency market this offseason may have to pay a price that is determined by the terms of their contracts.
The Suns and the Celtics were commended by O’Connor for locking up their productive guards before any other team had an opportunity to court them in the offseason.
The Ringer NBA analyst, nevertheless, stated in a recent podcast that he does not think Allen and Holiday will finish out their contracts because he thinks their teams would utilise them as trade assets down the road.
In an April 16 Ringer TV podcast episode, O’Connor stated, “For both these teams, other factors to considered too, is at some point down the line maybe year 3 or maybe year 4 of those contracts, maybe there’s a guy you want to trade.” Salaries are a prerequisite for salary-matching agreements.
In the long run, Phoenix and Boston would prefer to have those transactions finalised now rather than take the chance of losing them. They are significant in the present, but they will also be significant in the future, O’Connor continued.
Boston’s Jrue Holiday Effect
Holiday moved to Boston in September 2023 after the Celtics traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. Four days earlier, the Bucks had acquired Holiday as part of the historic Damian Lillard trade.
Holiday, a five-time member of the All-Defensive team, had an immediate effect on the Celtics, emerging as both a top perimeter defender and a facilitator.
Holiday finished the season with an average of 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists, albeit his statistical figures may have decreased. His leadership, defence, and other intangibles have nevertheless helped the Celtics have a successful regular season.
According to NBA statistics, Holiday also established career highs in true shooting (59.7 TS%) and 3-point shooting percentage (42.9 3P%) during his rookie season with the Celtics.
