Celtics predicted to deal $134 million to sign a 2-time NBA champion, acquire first-round draft capital
The Boston Celtics will need to make some drastic changes to sink below the second tax apron this summer.
Following Jayson Tatum’s devastating Achilles injury suffered during Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals against the New York Knicks, the franchise could look to perform a couple of moves to usher in a re-tooling period in Tatum’s extended absence.
This means that an aging member of the Celtics’ title-winning 2024 iteration could be shipped away in the coming months for financial relief.
In fact, recent reports have indicated that Boston’s front office has updated their asking price for 2-time NBA champion and 6-time All-Defensive Team selection Jrue Holiday.
“Hall of Famer Marc Stein reported this weekend that Boston is in fact listening to trade offers for Holiday, something most people assumed,” Action Network’s Matt Moore wrote Monday.
“While the focus has been on reducing payroll, sources have told the Paroxysm that Boston is setting the price at a first-round pick along with whatever reduced salary comes back in the deal.”
The 34-year-old guard will be carrying a $32.4 million salary into the 2025-26 campaign, one that Boston simply cannot afford while simultaneously handing out another $107.2 million in guaranteed money to the tandem of Tatum and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
As a result, the Celtics are looking for an avenue to shave off Holiday’s gargantuan deal prior to the beginning of next season.
Letting go of a talent like Holiday will sting for the Celtics, especially since his presence has been conducive to winning for two different organizations (Milwaukee Bucks, 2021) in the past half-decade.
If the Celtics are able to find a suitor for their talented all-around threat and one of the greatest perimeter defenders in NBA history, it will likely be a rising group with a treasure trove of first-round draft picks itching to establish themselves as contenders.
In that case, a number of franchises could view a Holiday acquisition as a necessary step in the right direction.
The Los Angeles Clippers were recently reported as potential suitors for the 6-foot-4 combo-guard, but the Celtics will likely field plenty of offers from numerous contenders around the Association
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