It’s one of the worst-kept secrets in the league that the Celtics are looking to shake up their roster this offseason. The Celtics are one of the most expensive teams in the league and have new ownership that paid a hefty price to own the Celtics. While ownership has been quiet on their plans, most are operating under the assumption that the Celtics were going to make moves even before the second-round exit against the Knicks.
As a result, Celtics trade machine aficionados and the rumor mill have every member of the Celtics rotation in trades this offseason, none more than Jrue Holiday.
The current situation that the Celtics are in doesn’t bode well for Holiday. He’s older than the rest of the core, he’s incredibly expensive considering his on-court production, his base stats would say he is in decline, and the Celtics are unlikely to be a real contender next year. Additionally, the Celtics are reportedly looking to shed salary, in whatever form that takes.
Brian Robb, of MassLive, recently reported that the Los Angeles Clippers may pursue the Celtics guard. That rumor had a short shelf life as Law Murray stated on The Garden Report podcast that the rumor may have been overstated.
"For what Jrue does well, you already have a player like that in Kris Dunn, who is going to make like $25 million less than Jrue (next season), who is younger than Jrue, who arguably is at least as athletic, right around around the same size and the key thing for me is the role. This doesn’t sound like something that would come from the Clippers’ side of things."Law Murray
If this logic applies to the rest of the league, it would be the Celtics initiating the trade. That already puts them in a tough negotiating position. So, what would they ask for? According to Mitch Fink of the New York Post (h/t Hardwood Paroxysm), it looks like a first-round draft pick and reduced salaries.
To justify trading a first-round pick, teams are either offloading a bad contract or bringing in the final piece to push them towards a championship run. The Celtics would be trying to pull off quite the heist in offloading a bad contract while receiving a first-rounder in exchange. Looking around the league, it’s difficult to find a team that fits the timeline and need for Holiday, let alone one that would be willing to offer a first-round pick for him.
In a perfect scenario, Holiday does push a playoff team towards contention. He did it for the Celtics. Unfortunately for the Celtics, the rest of the league is well aware of Brad Stevens’ plans this offseason: shed salaries and set the team up for the 2026-27 season. The Celtics are open to discussions about their roster, and that Holiday may be a preferred option to move on from.
Stevens may need to temper his expectations if he expects any deals to be done. The market for overpaid 34-year-old point guards isn’t quite what the Celtics are hoping for, and the rest of the league knows they hold the leverage in any trade negotiations.
Could the Celtics be setting a high price knowing they will have to settle for role players and second-round picks? Sure, this could be a negotiation tactic, but it could also set Celtics fans up for disappointment if Stevens has to settle for less.