6 teams that could make sense for a potential Jrue Holiday trade
Holiday has been speculated to be a trade candidate this offseason as the Celtics might seek to shed salary.
Unless incoming owner William Chisholm wants to pay one of the largest payrolls in North American sports history, the Celtics face a tough challenge this offseason: shedding salary.
Boston is roughly $20 million above the second luxury tax apron entering the offseason. It has a considerable amount of work to do in order to get under that threshold and avoid extra financial and roster-building penalties.
One of the easiest ways to get under the second luxury tax apron would be to trade standout guard Jrue Holiday. The 35-year-old has a $32.4 million salary for the 2025-26 season and is owed $67.2 million over the next two seasons. He also has a $37.2 million player option for the 2027-28 season, which is the final year of the four-year, $134.4 million extension he signed in 2024.
Holiday has been speculated to be a trade candidate as a result of the team’s salary situation and his play this past season. He averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals per game as he shot 44.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from deep. Holiday’s points and assists per game were the fewest he’s averaged since his rookie season.
Still, Holiday’s championship pedigree and continued defensive excellence could make him an appealing player on the trade market. So, here are six teams that could make sense for a potential Holiday trade.
Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks have been reported as a potential suitor for Holiday already as they seek some defensive help in their backcourt while Kyrie Irving rehabs from a ACL tear. With Irving out, Dallas’ offense is set to take a hit, and acquiring Holiday wouldn’t do too much to help that. But putting Holiday in a potential starting five with Anthony Davis, Derrick Lively, and likely No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg would give them one of the best defensive units in the league.
As for what the Mavericks would have to give up, they’re an over-the-cap team, so they would have to dish back some salary in order to make the deal work. In fact, if the Mavericks were to trade for Holiday, they would have to give up center Daniel Gafford, forward PJ Washington, and forward Olivier-Maxence Prosper as acquiring Holiday would put them in the first luxury tax apron. Boston would only clear roughly $900,000 in that deal, though.
The Mavericks could make other moves to help clear salary or involve more teams in a potential deal with the Celtics to make a possible deal involving Holiday work.
In terms of possible packages the Celtics could get for Holiday, this might be one of the stronger ones. Gafford and Washington helped Dallas turn around its defense when it acquired them at the 2024 trade deadline, leading the Mavericks to the NBA Finals. Gafford would also give the Celtics a rotational big as they face the possibility of losing all three of Al Horford, Kristaps Porzingis, and Luke Kornet this season. Washington would give the Celtics much-needed wing help with Tatum likely to miss much of the 2025-26 season.
Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers were among the reported finalists for Holiday when the Celtics acquired him in 2023. It stands to reason that they could be interested in the Los Angeles native again this offseason after an impressive regular-season showing this past year, with James Harden and Kawhi Leonard still playing at a high level.
As for potential deals, the Clippers are also above the salary cap, so they have to dish out salary in any deal for Holiday. A deal involving guards Norman Powell and Kris Dunn would be the easiest way to send Holiday to the Clippers, at least from a salary standpoint. Boston would shed $6.5 million in salary in that possible deal. Wings Derrick Jones Jr. and Bogdan Bogdanovic could also be viable options for the Celtics to acquire in a potential Holiday trade with the Clippers.
Powell is the best player of that bunch. The 32-year-old received some All-Star consideration this past season, scoring 21.8 points per game. His scoring eventually tailed off late in the year and he averaged 16 points per game in the playoffs. Dunn was arguably one of the best defensive guards in the league this past season, averaging 1.7 steals per game and likely would’ve earned All-Defensive team consideration had he been eligible.
As for Jones and Bogdanovic, the former has made a name for himself as a defensive, high-flying forward over the years. Bogdanovic has been considered one of the game’s best 3-point shooters at points in his eight-year career, knocking down 38.2 percent of his career attempts from deep. He averaged 10.8 points per game last season.
Sacramento Kings
The Kings are reportedly in the mix for Holiday, but their offer might not be strong enough.
Just like the first two teams mentioned, Sacramento is also above the salary cap. A one-for-one swap for DeMar DeRozan would work under league rules. The Celtics would also clear $7.7 million in such a trade, as the Kings need some defensive help. The only other potential Holiday-to-Kings trade that would work is Sacramento sending out guard Malik Monk and center Jonas Valanciunas, unless the Kings want to give up two young assets in Keegan Murray and Keion Ellis.
Trading Holiday for DeRozan would give the Celtics a much-needed offensive spark plug with Tatum out. The 35-year-old averaged 22.2 points and 4.4 assists in 2024-25 and would likely become Boston’s second-best creator after Jaylen Brown.
Monk would fit the Celtics’ timeline more. The 2023-24 Sixth Man of the Year runner-up is 27 and had another solid year in 2024-25, averaging 17.2 points per game.
Detroit Pistons
If the Pistons are looking for some more veteran presence to put alongside Cade Cunningham, Holiday would be a good fit, especially if they want to run a three-guard lineup alongside Jaden Ivey.
Detroit’s also an over-the-cap team. However, every player on its active roster outside of Cunningham can be moved in a deal for Holiday. An easy way to get a deal done would be a Holiday for Tobias Harris swap, which would clear $5.8 million in salary for the Celtics and give them help along the perimeter. If Detroit wants to keep Harris, it could give up center Isaiah Stewart, forward Simone Fontecchio, and one of guard Marcus Sasser or forward Bobi Klintman.
The second deal wouldn’t benefit the Celtics too much from an on-court standpoint. All of those players primarily played off the bench for the Pistons this past season, with Fontecchio and Stewart having regular roles in their rotation. But that trade would clear roughly $7 million in salary.
Two of the potential runner-ups in the Kevin Durant sweepstakes
The Durant sweepstakes heated up over the weekend, with the Heat, Rockets, Spurs, and Timberwolves among the reported finalists for the Suns’ star forward. Of those four teams, Durant reportedly prefers to be traded to one of Miami, Houston, or San Antonio.
If Durant is traded to one of those three teams on his preferred destinations list, the other two teams seem like viable options to land Holiday. Each of them could use some backcourt or veteran help. The Heat looked listless following the Jimmy Butler trade in February, going 14-21 to close the regular season.
The Celtics could take back Terry Rozier’s expiring contract and make a deal work straight up, but the former Celtics guard struggled for Miami last season. Boston could also acquire Duncan Robinson’s expiring deal and Haywood Highsmith, along with potential draft capital, for Holiday.
The Rockets, meanwhile, need some offensive help, so Holiday might not be the best fit in that regard. However, Ime Udoka has built a strong defensive-minded culture in Houston, possibly making Holiday an intriguing option for them. But there are some obstacles in getting a deal done between the two teams.
With the Rockets set to be in the first luxury tax apron, it’d be tough for them to land Holiday without trading one of their top young assets (Jabari Smith, Amen Thompson, Tari Eason, Reed Sheppard). So, a Holiday-to-Houston trade is probably unlikely without a corresponding move.
Finally, the Spurs are seeking to make the next step and contend for a postseason spot in 2025-26. With Chris Paul hitting free agency, San Antonio could use Holiday’s veteran presence. The Spurs’ backcourt might have a bit of a logjam, though, especially if they take Rutgers guard Dylan Harper with the No. 2 overall pick.
Still, the Spurs could help consolidate some of their guard and wing depth by either trading Devin Vassell straight up for Holiday or trading a combo of Harrison Barnes, Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, or Malaki Branham for Holiday. Vassell, Johnson, Sochan, and Branham would fit Tatum and Brown’s timeline for contention, while Barnes has an expiring deal, making him a potential trade deadline asset. Boston could also potentially clear nearly $8 million in salary if it traded Holiday to San Antionio.
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