It's only been a few days since the Boston Celtics were eliminated by the New York Knicks, and the heartbreaking playoff exit still stings as much as it did when Game 6's final buzzer sounded. Next up for the Celtics is an offseason that will likely be filled with change as head coach Joe Mazzulla prepares to navigate life without star forward Jayson Tatum.
The upcoming offseason will also mark the Celtics' first since ownership changed hands earlier this year. Bill Chisholm will likely look to cut ties as Boston's financial commitments continue to expand, which could lead to the Celtics trading one of their top players if it means either 1) saving salary cap space or 2) adding help to prepare for Tatum's absence.
Although a player's outlook can change with time, one Celtics star is reportedly safe for the time being.
Celtics Reportedly Open to Trading Jrue Holiday Over Derrick White
On Sunday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported on rumors he heard while attending the 2025 Draft Combine in Chicago. When it came to trade rumors involving Boston, Stein revealed that the Celtics are reportedly more interested in retaining one of their starting guards over the other.
"The early projections in circulation suggest Boston is more apt to make Jrue Holiday available via trade this offseason than Derrick White," Stein wrote.
Holiday is one of the NBA's top two-way guards and played a big role in the Celtics' winning last year's NBA championship. Having said that, the two-time All-Star's offensive production took a major hit in 2024-25, and that, combined with the $67.2 million remaining on his contract (plus a $37.2 million 2027-28 player option), makes him a likely trade candidate.
Holiday's production and efficiency went from averaging 12.5 points per game on .480/.429/.883 splits in 69 appearances in 2023-24 to 11.1 PPG on .443/.353/.909 shooting in 62 outings this past season. His woes continued into the postseason as he only put up 9.5 PPG while shooting 48.3% from the floor and 34.6% from deep in eight outings.
Meanwhile, White was much more efficient with his minutes. The former 2017 first-rounder averaged a career-high 16.4 points on .442/.384/.839 shooting splits in his third full season with the Celtics, adding 4.8 rebounds and 4.5 assists, too, while giving the team reliable play at both ends of the court.
Even if the postseason didn't end as the Celtics hoped, White was still one of his team's better performers with 18.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, and a 38.5 3P% on 9.5 three-point attempts per game.
Holiday's outlook is worsened by White's more favorable contract. The Parker, CO native will carry an average annual value of about $30 million across the next three seasons, and he can return for a fourth if he picks up his $34.8 million player option in 2028-29.
Unless something changes in de facto general manager Brad Stevens' eyes, all signs point to Holiday being shipped out of town in favor of White this offseason. Whether or not that's the right move won't be known until the Celtics' 2025-26 season concludes.