Does Trading Former Bruin Jrue Holiday Make Sense for Celtics?

Former UCLA Bruin, Jrue Holiday is heading into his 16th NBA season, but could it be with his fifth team?

Speculation is growing that Holiday is an ideal trade candidate for the Celtics — a way to clear cap space, get younger, and potentially add draft capital.

To make matters worse, the Celtics not only lost in six games to the Knicks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, but also saw their franchise centerpiece, Jayson Tatum, go down with a ruptured Achilles.

So, how does that affect Holiday’s status with Boston? In a perfect world, it would create more opportunities for the veteran and two-time NBA champion. But with a $34 million cap hit, the Celtics may feel pressure to move on from him and the two more seasons on his deal to get assets in return.

Is that the right move?

Despite being 35, Holiday hasn’t lost his defensive touch. He still shows strong burst and lateral quickness, allowing him to stay in front of his man and remain one of the league’s top on-ball defenders.

Offensively, his production dipped — averaging just 11.1 points per game, the lowest since his rookie season — but his value to a playoff contender remains high, especially for a team that just lost its star.

Jaylen Brown is expected to carry the scoring load in Tatum’s absence, but in today’s NBA, a single alpha rarely gets you far. Two seasons ago, when the Celtics won the NBA Finals, Holiday’s presence was a crucial piece of the puzzle. Trading him now means parting ways with a key part of that identity.

Offensive production can be replaced — Kristaps Porzingis and reigning Sixth Man of the Year Payton Pritchard can help fill that void. But Porzingis is frequently injured, and expecting him to carry a full-season workload is a big gamble.

Holiday’s contract is hefty, and his age limits his trade value — the Celtics wouldn’t be getting a major return. But they’re not rebuilding. And without Tatum until mid-2026 at the earliest, the Celtics need Holiday’s defense, experience, and leadership more than ever.

If Boston wants to move him, they’d be better off waiting until Tatum returns. Until then, Holiday isn’t just a useful piece to the franchise; he’s essential to keeping this ship afloat.

Of course, you run the risk of limiting your options. With the current NBA salary cap, Boston would be hard-capped at the second apron. And in that case, it may not be a matter of wanting to trade him; the Celtics may not have a choice.