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Veteran guard Jrue Holiday was reportedly "pissed" that he was traded by the Boston Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the team's cost-cutting efforts, longtime Celtics reporter Steve Bulpett wrote via Heavy.com on Tuesday (June 24).
Holiday was previously traded by the Milwaukee Bucks to the Blazers as part of the three-team deal centered around Damian Lillard prior to the 2023-24 NBA season before being shipped to Boston four days later in exchange for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon and two future first-round draft picks.
“Now, if he winds up staying there, I’m sure he’ll be the professional he’s always been and make a positive contribution,” a source told Bulpett. “But 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.
“I’m sure if he has to go to Portland, he’ll end up going and it’ll be OK, but right now they want to be somewhere else. But with that contract, it’s not going to be that easy.”
Holiday, 35, was traded to the Blazers in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks. The former UCLA standout started 69 games during the 2023-24 season and all 19 playoff games during the Celtics' NBA championship run during his first of two seasons with the franchise.
Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 3.9 assists and 4.3 rebounds in 62 starts during the 2024-25 NBA season and 9.5 points, 4.0 assists and 4.1 rebounds in Boston's eight playoff starts.