I Love the Jrue Holiday Trade

In the aftermath of the Damian Lillard to the Bucks trade, it was clear that veteran point guard Jrue Holiday wasn’t going to be sticking around on the rebuilding Portland Trail Blazers. The only question was which team he would be traded to. And now, we know the answer is Boston.

The official package is Holiday for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, a 2024 Warriors first-round pick, and a 2029 unprotected Celtics first-round pick. This was a great trade by both sides, truly a win-win. Let’s break down why.

As a Celtics fan, this was a great move to make. Holiday is a terrific point guard and a comparable defender to Marcus Smart, who was traded this offseason to the Grizzlies. Holiday has the experience of winning a championship already, which will be great for the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Plus, he seems like a guy that would be good to have in your locker room, which will help with their chemistry issues that played a role in their demise against the Heat last year.

Many times in the past few years Celtics fans have been clamoring for a “true” point guard to run the team’s offense, and Holiday is just that. It was clear Brogdon would have to be moved in a Holiday deal, and since the team acquired 7’3″ Kristaps Porzingis during the offseason, it makes sense to move Williams. He and Porzingis have very similar play styles, and if they couldn’t have played together, Williams would’ve only made sense to stay on as injury insurance. However, Porzingis and Al Horford are different enough thanks to their weight and skill sets that they can work together.

From the Blazers side of things, this was a huge win. Holiday made no sense with the current rebuilding roster, as he’s a veteran in the twilight of his career trying to win one more championship before retiring. Scoot Henderson will be fine with Brogdon as a mentor instead of Holiday, and Williams will make a great lob partner for him. However, in trading for Williams, one has to ask if Deandre Ayton will end up playing for the Blazers. Williams is a much better fit on the team, so it makes since Ayton moves to a new home soon. Still, by trading Holiday, the total return on Damian Lillard that the Bucks received was Ayton, Williams, Brogdon, Toumani Camara, three first-round picks and 2028 and 2030 pick swaps with the Bucks. Not a bad haul at all.

What do you think of the Holiday trade? Let me know in the comments below, don’t forget to follow the NBA Blog, and as always, have an awesome day!

 

Image Credit to:

Morry Gash/AP Photo

The Washington Post