There are few players in the NBA who are more firmly on the trade block than Jrue Holiday. The Boston Celtics starter will likely be the odd man out as the Celtics hope to retool after Jayson Tatum's injury and make cap savings. As valuable as Holiday is, even at this stage of his career, he is overpaid and under contract for three more seasons, making it hard for Boston to justify retaining him when they are the most expensive team in the history of the league.
Therefore, it's safe to assume that GM Brad Stevens will leave no stone unturned to find the optimal Holiday trade this summer. He may perhaps need to turn to a familiar foe in the Miami Heat and take back a former Celtic in a deal.
A potential trade scenario could net the Celtics Terry Rozier and Miami's No. 20 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft in exchange for Holiday.
Admittedly, Rozier has not been the same player ever since he was acquired by the Heat at the 2024 trade deadline. Last season, he was a disaster, hitting 39.1% from the field and 29.5% from three in 25.9 minutes per game in 64 appearances. He is also not the defensive force he was earlier in his career in Boston.
However, this deal is more about cap savings than anything for the Celtics. Rozier makes around $6 million less than Holiday for next season and is in the final year of his deal. He will be completely off the books for Boston in the 2026 offseason, giving Stevens more financial flexibility.
Since Holiday is still a much better player than Rozier, the Heat would send their No. 20 overall pick to Boston. The Celtics can use that pick to add a rookie on a team-friendly deal or package it alongside their own 28th-overall pick to move up in the draft.
On the surface, this may not seem like the most exciting deal for the Celtics, but it gives them a ton of flexibility to make other moves to set themselves up for the future.