[Saba Sports News] The Eastern Conference arms race intensified on Sunday with the trade of veteran guard Jrue Holiday to the Boston Celtics.
Boston acquired Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks, as reported by ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The Celtics are keen on securing a long-term extension with Holiday, who is in the final year of his contract.
Holiday, aged 33, is renowned as one of the NBA’s premier defensive players and is also a prolific scorer, averaging 19.3 points and 7.4 assists per game last season. Beyond his on-court skills, he is highly regarded as a beloved teammate, having won three NBA Teammate of the Year Awards.
While the Milwaukee Bucks became favorites in the East after acquiring Damian Lillard, the Holiday trade is expected to level the playing field once more, explaining why the Celtics were willing to outbid other teams for his services.