Why trading for Jrue Holiday just doesn’t make sense for the Boston Celtics

A trade for Jrue Holiday would be a risky win-now play, and an unnecessary one for the Boston Celtics. 

The surprise blockbuster deal sending Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks has created new unknowns for the Boston Celtics and the rest of the NBA. This move likely solidifies Milwaukee’s status as a top contender to come out of the Eastern Conference, but there are some other aftershocks from the move to sort out as well. Chief among them, what happens to veteran guard Jrue Holiday?

At the time of this writing, Holiday is a member of the Portland Trail Blazers. He and DeAndre Ayton were sent to the City of Roses as part of the broader three-team deal. It’s expected Portland will re-route the 33-year-old Holiday as the club enters a full youth movement. And Boston is one of several teams reportedly in the mix.

Jrue Holiday is a phenomenal two-way player and would be an impressive addition to the Celtics or any other team hoping to make a deep postseason run. Swinging a trade for Holiday may look like a home run for Boston in the abstract, but in reality, it seems both improbable and unwise, with a few key barriers getting in the way.