Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

Jrue Holiday’s trade leaves Boston Celtics legend in utter disappointment, but he understands the move

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aikansh Chaudhary | Last updated Jun 25, 2025 12:00 PM ET

Just a year after winning the NBA Championship, the Boston Celtics have traded veteran guard Jrue Holiday.

The 2x NBA champion was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round draft picks.

According to Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports, Holiday is ‘pissed’ with the Celtics as they shipped him to the Western Conference.

“He’s not happy with this deal. I’ll be surprised if Portland doesn’t move him on if they can, because right now he does not want to go there,” a source told Bulpett.

Not just Holiday, but Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce doesn’t seem too happy about the trade either.

Photo by Elsa/Getty Images

Paul Pierce says the Boston Celtics ‘lost a lot’ by trading Jrue Holiday

Holiday may have spent just two full seasons with the Celtics, but he earned respect from former players and fans alike.

After all, Holiday played a crucial role in helping the Celtics end their championship drought of 16 years in 2024.

Losing a player of his pedigree is no small deal, and it’s evident from Paul Pierce’s reaction to the trade on an episode of FOX Sports’ Speak.

“People are going to look at this trade and say, ‘Hey, they got younger, they got some draft picks, they got a guy that averaged 19.’ But I don’t look at it like that,” Pierce said.

He added: “We lost a lot in this trade. We lost a champion, we lost a leader in the locker room. We lost a part of the culture, the DNA that he brought to the Celtics. That was valuable.”

Paul Pierce is unhappy, but he understands the reason behind the trade

Pierce understands the biggest reason the Celtics traded Holiday was to get financial relief. After all, Simons will make $4.8 million less than Holiday for the upcoming season.

“But I understand the trade. Jrue has a couple of more years left in his contract, at a steep price for his production. Anfernee has one year left,” the 2008 NBA champion added.

In the modern era, it’s hard to keep a championship-caliber roster together without incurring humongous taxes.

In fact, a key reason behind GM Brad Stevens pulling the trigger on the move was to bring the Celtics below the second apron for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Stevens reached his goal after trading Kristaps Porzingis to the Atlanta Hawks. According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, these two trades will help the C’s save $180 million in tax penalties next season.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: