The Boston Celtics have traded Jrue Holiday, one of the key players in the 2024 championship, to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks, ESPN reported Monday.
The American network indicates that with this transfer the Celtics would save about 40 million in ‘luxury tax’, an economic penalty that must be paid by teams that exceed a salary limit determined by the league.
Holiday also has a contract through the 2027-28 season, with more than $72 million in guaranteed salary, which would make him the third-highest paid player on the Celtics behind Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.
The Celtics, who were sold in March to businessman Bill Chisholm for $6.1 billion, are looking to lighten their expensive roster this summer after Tatum’s Achilles tendon injury during the playoffs
Tatum will miss much of next season and the Celtics are in negotiations to trade more players.
In the 2024 playoffs, won by the Celtics against the Dallas Mavericks (4-1), Holiday averaged 13.2 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game.
Holiday, 35, was already with the Blazers for a few hours in 2023, although he did not wear their jersey, when he was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2022 in exchange for Damian Lillard. The Blazers then traded him to Boston.
In exchange for Holiday, the Boston Celtics receive Simons, a player who shoots well from three and is in the final year of his contract, with $27.6 million to be received this season.
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