The acquisition of Jrue Holiday by the Portland Trail Blazers, officially announced on Monday, has undergone modifications compared to the terms initially reported on June 23.
The Boston Celtics will receive Anfernee Simons, but two future second-round picks are no longer part of the deal. Now it’s a straight player-for-player trade.
The transfers could not be announced until they were finalized with the start of the new league season on Sunday.
A review of Holiday’s medical history did not reveal anything that would invalidate the trade, but it led the Trail Blazers to change the terms of the transaction. Holiday, 35, is considered healthy and available for training camp in September.
The Celtics have reduced players with large contracts, such as Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, who was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the second round of the playoffs, and a long recovery period is expected.
Holiday, who will earn $32.4 million next season, has approximately $72 million combined pending in the 2026-27 and 2027-28 seasons as part of a four-year, $134.4 million contract he signed with the Celtics in April 2024.
Simons, 26, joins the Celtics on an expiring contract. The deal saves Boston around $40 million in luxury tax payments next season.
In 2023, Portland acquired Holiday in a deal with the Milwaukee Bucks for Damian Lillard, then sent the 16-year veteran to Boston and acquired a pair of first-round picks. Holiday never played a game for the Blazers.
In his first season with the Celtics, Holiday played a fundamental role in the team’s path to the NBA title in 2024, with a 3-point shooting percentage of 42.9% in 2023-24 and earning All-Defensive team honors. He averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.1 steals last season.
Holiday was a first-round pick (No. 17 overall) of the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009. He has career averages of 15.8 points, 6.2 assists, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 steals with the 76ers (2009-13), New Orleans Pelicans (2013-20), Bucks (2020-23) and Celtics in 1,037 games (956 as a starter). He won his first NBA title with Milwaukee in 2021 and is a six-time All-Defensive Team selection.
Simons, 26, was also a first-round pick, at number 24, by the Blazers in 2018. He averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 4.8 assists last season.
In seven seasons with Portland, he averaged 15.0 points, 3.3 assists, and 2.5 rebounds in 389 games (213 as a starter). He has averaged nearly nine 3-point attempts per game in the last three seasons and has a 3-point shooting percentage of 38.1% from distance.
