Clippers trade proposal lands Jrue Holiday from Celtics

Holiday’s box-score production has declined over the past few years. This past season, he averaged just 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game. That doesn’t seem worth the annual salary of over $30 million he’s making. This would turn off a few prospective trade suitors, especially with Holiday getting up there in age (he’s about to turn 35 prior to the start of next season).

But everyone in the NBA knows just how impactful Holiday is to a team’s championship pursuit. Holiday helped elevate two different title-winning teams; by replacing Eric Bledsoe, he made the Milwaukee Bucks into a championship-level team, and he was the final piece to the Celtics’ championship puzzle in 2024.

This makes Holiday’s trade value hard to gauge. For most teams in the NBA, trading for him is a non-starter at his dollar value and age. But the Clippers, again, do not have much choice. They are up against a clock, with Leonard and Harden not exactly being spring chickens themselves, and Holiday would be a great piece to slot into the starting lineup alongside the aforementioned two stars, Norman Powell, and Ivica Zubac.

If the Clippers can get Holiday for the package above, then this trade could end up being a huge win. Jones and Dunn are always going to be left open come playoff time and have considerable shortcomings on offense that make their playoff utility very matchup-dependent, while Bogdanovic, while his three-point shooting is important, is a bench player at the end of the day. Holiday, meanwhile, can create offense for his team off the bounce and he has a track record of coming up huge in the games that matter.

The Celtics might be reticent to accept this package, however. Bogdanovic, Jones, and Dunn have two years left on their deals, after all. There won’t be much cap relief going their way if they accept this trade, as those three will make nearly as much money as Holiday would next season.

However, this should make salary-dumping an easier endeavor for the Celtics. Bogdanovic is making just $16 million, and teams in need of shooters (Detroit Pistons? Orlando Magic? Denver Nuggets?) could perhaps find a way to acquire the Serbian sharpshooter. Jones and Dunn’s contracts are also team-friendly and are easy to trade away if need be.

Dunn could also be someone the Celtics end up keeping; they may be losing Holiday’s elite perimeter defense in this trade, but Dunn’s work on that end of the floor should help make up for it.

The Clippers will be very concerned with their roster’s lack of depth in the event of such a trade. That is a valid concern. This year’s playoffs have shown that teams that go eight or nine deep have more insurance against the unpredictability of injuries. But it takes giving away talent to receive talent in return.

LA was very proactive in adding some youth and athleticism to the roster last year, so they might not be inclined to trade this package away for Holiday, an aging veteran. But this is about the best they can do without taking away from the team’s core.