Celtics' pursuit of champion guard 'remains alive'

Jrue Holiday Gregory Fisher-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics' pursuit of NBA champion guard 'remains alive' after Damian Lillard trade

By Vinny Somma | Last updated 9/30/23

The fallout from the Damian Lillard blockbuster is underway as the Portland Trail Blazers explore trade options for recently acquired guard Jrue Holiday.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Portland is "expected to engage contending teams" in trade talks involving the two-time All-Star. The Boston Celtics, who have made the Eastern Conference Finals in three of the past four seasons, are one of the teams to show initial interest in acquiring Holiday.

“I think [Damian] Lillard probably makes them more exciting, more explosive… But to be honest with you, in the playoffs, [Jrue] Holiday might be better than Lillard,”

— Former Bucks head coach George Karl

Thoughts?

(via @SiriusXMNBA) pic.twitter.com/DKQf8QwG4u
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 30, 2023

According to Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, the Celtics pursuit of the former NBA champion "remains alive," although there is a "significant gap" in negotiations with Portland. League sources told Anthony Chiang and Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald that the Celtics are among six contending teams he would be interested in playing for.

Holiday projects as an ideal plug-and-play option in Boston's backcourt following the offseason trade of point guard Marcus Smart. Named a first-team All-Defensive player in three of the past six seasons, Holiday would help fill the role of defensive stalwart left behind by Smart while also serving as an upgrade offensively.

Jrue Holiday on the Celtics? Oh my! https://t.co/jkBJEXHMtf
— Chris Broussard (@Chris_Broussard) September 29, 2023

Fresh off the second-highest scoring campaign of his pro career (19.3 PPG), the 14-year veteran is one of the elite three-and-D guards in basketball, shooting 38.0 percent or better from deep in two of the past three seasons.

Set to earn $34.95 million in 2023-24, Holiday won't come cheap. For him to find his way to Beantown, the Celtics would almost certainly have to package guard Malcolm Brogdon and center Robert Williams III in a deal with Portland. However, president Brad Stevens hasn't shied away from making aggressive moves in the past and he shouldn't draw a line in the sand now.

For a team that has struggled to get over the hump in recent years, Holiday's championship pedigree is exactly what the Celtics need to stake claim to banner No. 18.

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