Jrue Holiday being traded from Celtics to Trail Blazers, AP source says
FILE - Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday plays against the Washington Wizards during the first half of an NBA basketball game on April 6, 2025, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer, File)
Jrue Holiday is being traded by Boston to Portland a year after helping the Celtics win the NBA championship, a person with knowledge of the details said early Tuesday.
Holiday's acquisition from the Trail Blazers in 2023 helped spark the Celtics to their NBA-record 18th title, and now he's headed back to Portland from a Boston team that could now be in transition.
Advertisement
ESPN reported that the Celtics would get Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks from the Trail Blazers.
The departure of Holiday, who made his sixth career All-Defensive team selection in his first season in Boston, was confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal is not yet official.
Holiday was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to Portland in September 2023 when the Bucks acquired perennial All-Star Damian Lillard. Holiday was then dealt days later to the Celtics, moving right into the starting lineup and eventually earning his second career title last June.
But the Celtics have now lost a second member of that starting lineup for at least part of next season, with All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum having surgery after an Achilles tendon injury in the loss to the New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
___
AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/NBA
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
15 minutes ago
- USA Today
What will Boston Celtics two way forward Drew Peterson's future with the team look like?
What will Boston Celtics two way forward Drew Peterson's future with the team and in the league look like? The 25-year-old swingman has shown some flashes in the limited run he has been able to nail down with the parent club, spending most of his floor time up in Portland with the Maine Celtics over the course of his last few seasons. The Libertyville, Illinois native has put up 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds per game with Boston while shooting 39.4% from beyond the arc in the 25 games he played at the NBA level in 2024-25, but logged 20.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game in the G League, hinting he may be able to help Boston more if he gets some run. Peterson recently sat down with CLNS Media's Noa Dalzell and Bobby Manning on a recent episode of their "Garden Report" podcast in which they touched on the USC alum's future, being part of the 2024 title team, and how much he loves Boston. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say in this wide-ranging interview from earlier this week. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
30 minutes ago
- Yahoo
SGA v Jokić, dynasty death and justice for Doris Burke: 20 things we learned from the NBA playoffs
It ain't over till it's over If a single, overarching lesson can be taken from this year's NBA postseason, it's this one: no game is over until the clock hits 00:00. Whether it was the New York Knicks stealing victory from the jaws of defeat against the Celtics in Boston in round two, Aaron Gordon's buzzer-beating dunk sealing a crucial win for the Nuggets against the Clippers in Los Angeles in round one, or the Indiana Pacers defeating the odds over and over again with their clutch time brilliance throughout the playoffs, a lead has never felt less safe in the NBA. The depth era is here Once upon a time in the NBA, it was pretty much agreed upon that a team needed at least a big two, if not a big three, to reach the promised land. But in a post 'apron' era, where it's increasingly difficult to afford to keep more than one top-tier player on your roster, it's become more important than ever to have a bench that's not just playable, but excellent. The playoffs are as fast, physical, and exhausting as they've ever been. Having the luxury of fresh legs is a superpower. You can live by the three, but you may die by it We are indisputably living in the three-point era, much to the chagrin of the internet. But one thing hasn't changed: you still have to have other options. The Celtics found this out the hard way, as their blind allegiance to chucking 'em up from beyond the arc, which proved a winning formula last season, came back to bite them against the Knicks in round two. Advertisement Related: Does Tom Thibodeau really run his players into the ground? The data says ... not exactly No job is safe This trend technically kicked off before the playoffs, when the Memphis Grizzlies and the Denver Nuggets fired their coaches with a handful of games left to play in the regular season. But it was truly crystallized with the abrupt firing of Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau just days after he helped lead the team to their first Eastern Conference Finals in decades, plural. Sure, Thibs had faced (warranted) criticism before. But if upsetting the defending champs and breaking generational playoff curses can't ensure coaching job security, it's fair to assume that nothing can. Justice for Doris Burke Burke was only added to the 'A-team' at ESPN in recent years, a job that includes being a part of the voice of the NBA finals. But Burke put in time on her way to the top of the basketball broadcasting pyramid. In her 12 years at ESPN alone, she worked her way up the ladder from sideline reporter, to color commentary in less high-profile games, to, eventually, her current seat. The way the internet has been discussing her aptitude during these finals was nothing short of disrespectful – if anyone knows ball, it's Doris Burke. Oklahoma loves its basketball team Every team has in-arena chants. Every team, at this point, gives away matching T-shirts to their fans to wear during playoff games in a show of solidarity. But the Oklahoma City Thunder's fanbase has demonstrated an allegiance to their team in a tier all its own. Everyone in the building knows the chants, no prompts on the jumbotron necessary. And you'd be hard-pressed to find a single soul in Paycom Center not wearing that evening's T-shirt giveaway: no one is too cool to show their support and fall in line. I've been to a lot of NBA arenas; I've never heard screaming at that decibel, so consistently. Thunder fans are, as the kids say, built different. Speed is a superpower It is, admittedly, a little on the nose that the defining characteristic of the Eastern Conference champion Indiana Pacers is that they play really, really fast – but their speed has proven to be their superpower. The Pacers left a graveyard of drained, hands-on-knees stars in their wake: even MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander looked worn down by the end of the first few games when his Thunder, a fast-paced team in their own right, met Indiana in the NBA finals. It's hard to make shots in the clutch when you're dead tired, and the Pacers and their unique stamina capitalized on that beautifully. Advertisement Related: The Lakers' Luka-LeBron era begins with a stumble, not a statement The changing of the guard LeBron James suffered a first-round exit, Stephen Curry was sidelined with a hamstring injury before round two even really started, and Kevin Durant's team didn't even make the play-in-tournament. While I'm not ready to write off the NBA's elder statesmen just yet, it was glaringly obvious in this postseason that the young guns, including the eventual champion Thunder (the youngest NBA champions ever) are coming for the crown, not tomorrow, but right now. Rick Carlisle is a Hall of Famer Carlisle has long been held in high esteem by basketball fans, especially in light of his stewardship of the Dallas Mavericks squad that upset the three-headed juggernaut Miami Heat to win the title in 2011. But what he's done with this year's Pacers, who are without a top five (or, arguably, even a top 10) superstar, is nothing short of remarkable. His group is incredibly poised, confident, and well prepared, and most importantly, they never say die. Carlisle deserves a lot of credit for that identity, and he will be etched into the annals of the highest echelon of coaching because of it. It's time for the Heat to set it on fire It is strange to say that the East is wide open and, at the same time, that the Heat need to blow it up in the same breath, but it feels right. Seeing Miami's 'performance' in round one, if you can even call it that, distilled just how far they are from contention with their bizarre, post-Jimmy-Butler but pre-another-superstar roster. As nice of a contributing piece as Andrew Wiggins can be on a contending team, Butler he is not, and the Heat are sorely lacking in talent and identity. Assuming a Giannis Antetokounmpo trade isn't on the horizon (and, really, how could it be? What would Miami offer?) blowing it up seems like the shrewd move. Giannis should stay in the East (but maybe leave Milwaukee) The East has been the weaker of the two NBA conferences for ages. But it feels more wide open than ever heading into the 2025-2026 season: The Celtics are all but eliminated for next year with the loss of Jayson Tatum to injury, the Knicks are in the middle of a potentially disastrous coaching search, and while the conference champion Pacers are excellent, they certainly don't feel unbeatable, especially after Tyrese Haliburton's injury. Milwaukee don't have a clear path to put a contending team around Antetokounmpo, so it would probably be wise of him to move elsewhere, but he'd be well served to stay in the same timezone or eastward. The Clippers may truly be cursed If you buy a plot of land that's an ancient burial ground, it doesn't really matter, ultimately, how nice the house is that you build on it. Steve Ballmer is an exemplary NBA owner: deep pockets, smart hires, boundless enthusiasm. The word 'ball' is in his name: that's how much he's about this life. But he bought a franchise that, for whatever reason, seems to be destined to fail in the most spectacular fashion. This year, it was getting annihilated, with little to no resistance, by the Nuggets in Game 7 of their first-round meeting. This came after the Clippers showed flashes of being a true contender, with one of the best defenses in basketball. Kawhi Leonard was healthy, and the excuses were slim: the Clippers just clipped. Championship windows can close in a blink There's already talk of a budding 'dynasty' in Oklahoma City, due to the youth of the team's core. But if anything came to light in this year's playoffs, it's that championship windows are fleeting – and fragile. After their victory last year, many predicted the Celtics were about to start a dynasty, but they were staring down the barrel of a 1-3 deficit against the Knicks in round two even before their best player, perennial MVP candidate Tatum, went down with an achilles tear that will sideline him for most, or even all, of next season. And the Pacers went from being on the doorstep of a championship to facing a year without their star player, Haliburton. Time is of the essence for teams seeking out the Larry O'B: you never know when even the most wide-open windows will slam shut. Advertisement Related: A year ago Tyrese Haliburton was a punchline. Now he's the NBA's finest punch-out artist If anything, Tyrese Haliburton is underrated It's not hyperbolic to say that no individual player has ever had a clutch run through the playoffs like Haliburton had this year. It was truly heartbreaking to see the guard go down with an achilles rupture in Game 7 of the finals, especially considering that he was having a brilliant first quarter, coming out with all the aggression his detractors have been clamoring for. But the lore from the 2025 playoffs will be one that leads with Haliburton for ever – he (and his underdog Pacers squad) have etched themselves into NBA history, and he's earned a ton of due respect along the way. The KAT/Randle trade was a net neutral We spent much of this season deliberating who 'won' the Karl Anthony Towns for Julius Randle trade between the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Knicks. The battle took some wild swings, with Towns having a hellacious start to the season (warranting him both an All-NBA and All-Star roster spot), and Randle shaping into form towards the end of the season and into a damned impressive start to the postseason. But both players, too, showed their significant flaws in the postseason, and ultimately, the answer to the question of who 'won' the trade is muddy. They are two flawed players with tremendous highs and forehead-slapping lows, and for now, at least, it appears to be a draw. Advertisement Related: Thunder's thrilling nerd juggernaut ushers in NBA's nice guy era Nikola Jokić is still the best player on Earth … To be fair, I knew this before the playoffs. But watching Jokić drag a ramshackle Nuggets team to Game 7 against the eventual champion Thunder, while serving, in many ways, as their honorary interim head coach, was impressive even by the Serb's impossibly high standards. He's the kind of spectacular, once in a generation talent who can render context irrelevant, who can make the craziest pass you've ever seen appear routine, who is such a ridiculous offensive force that he's almost an offense unto himself. He may not be the most valuable player this year, but he is the best. … But SGA deserved his MVP award If there has been one constant this postseason, it's Gilgeous-Alexander and his dependable, humming offensive output. You could set a clock to it. That's been the case since day one of the regular season, and it really didn't wane in the postseason, either. The Canadian had one of the greatest single statistical seasons ever by a guard, and yes, that includes all those on the NBA's Mount Rushmore. In this season alone, he won the scoring title, league MVP, Western Conference finals MVP, and NBA finals MVP. That's a historical run, and makes him a truly generational player by any measure. Houston were a piece away (and it's Kevin Durant) As impressive of a season as the upstart Houston Rockets had this year, it came as no surprise to anyone who'd been paying attention that the Western Conference No 2 were sent packing in round one. The team were on a string defensively, and play hard (kudos to Coach of the Year candidate Ime Udoka), but there was a glaringly apparent hole on the offensive end, especially late in game, when it mattered. Hopes were high for young guard Jalen Green, but he flamed out in a real way in his first postseason. Enter stage right: Kevin Durant, one of the greatest scorers the league has ever seen. It should be exciting for all basketball fans to see how this age-gap marriage turns out come October. The NBA has an injury problem The evidence is, at this point, beyond anecdotal. According to Jeff Stotts of InStreetClothes, the eight (eight!) achilles tendon ruptures this season are an NBA record, clearing the previous mark of five easily. What was shaping up to be a fascinating NBA finals Game 7 ended with a depressing whimper as Haliburton went down in a heap in the first quarter, sobbing and yelling 'No! No! No!' as he banged his fist on the hardwood in anguish. The rest of us could only watch helplessly, having all become injury experts after watching Damian Lillard and Tatum meet the same fate in this postseason alone. The NBA can no longer afford to ignore the pressing issue: the game is faster and more difficult, the season is far too long, and the injuries are mounting. Faith is a skill It's a rare occasion when the team who ultimately hoists the trophy is not what we, as a collective, will remember about a given season. But this version of the Pacers, who came just two quarters shy of a championship, will live on in the hearts and minds of basketball fans for years to come. In true Hoosiers fashion, this team was all heart, no fear. They taught us perhaps the most valuable lesson of all: unwavering belief may very well be the most powerful skill. Chips down, odds long, down double digits with a minute to go. There was no challenge too big, no order too tall, for the never say die Pacers. Even though their season ended in horrible fashion, with a devastating injury to Haliburton and an everlasting 'what if' along with it, their identity as one of the most resilient and joyful teams in recent memory will for ever be the stuff of legend.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Boston Celtics' Trade for $100 Million Player Has Fans Turning
Boston Celtics' Trade for $100 Million Player Has Fans Turning originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Boston Celtics came into this season being favorites to repeat as NBA champions. But instead of enjoying another parade, they were paraded out of the second round of the playoffs by the New York Knicks. Advertisement Regardless, there was a feeling that significant moves were coming for them this offseason due to the NBA's ultra-restrictive salary cap and their overall salary situation. Sure enough, on Monday, they reportedly agreed to trade point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers for shooting guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks. ESPN's Shams Charania broke the news on X. Fans had a range of reactions to the news. "Why the blazers do this?" one fan asked. "celtics downfall has begun," another user wrote. "CELTICS FLEECED OMG," a third user wrote. "FLEECED BY THE BLAZERS!!!!" another fan wrote. "Wow!" a fifth user wrote. "The Celtics get but losing his vet presence will hurt." "BROOOO WHY DO BOSTON ALWAYS GET THESE GOOD TRADES," another user asked. Holiday, 35, had spent his first 14 seasons in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks while making two All-Star teams before joining the Celtics prior to last season. Advertisement Interestingly, he was already a member of the Trail Blazers for a few days two summers ago. The Bucks sent him there in the deal that brought them Damian Lillard before Portland shipped him to Boston for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III and two first-round draft picks. Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) dribbles past Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) in the first quarter at the Chase Center. © Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images As one of the NBA's best defensive guards, Holiday played a key role in Boston winning it all a year ago. The team will now receive a promising young player in Simons, who averaged 19.3 points and 4.8 assists a game this season but shot 42.6% from the field. Holiday agreed to a four-year, $135 million contract extension last April and will make $32.4 million next season. As part of the $100 million contract he agreed to in 2022, Simons will be paid $25.9 million next season. Advertisement Related: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Sends Message About Tyrese Haliburton After NBA Finals This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 24, 2025, where it first appeared.
