Report: UCLA's Jrue Holiday Upset After Celtics Trade

The former Bruin found a home and a championship in Boston but the Celtics moved him to Portland to cut costs amid the second apron era.

Apr 7, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday (4) game play against the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

Former UCLA Bruins standout Jrue Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers by the Boston Celtics as a part of a cost-cutting maneuver to brace the Celtics for a season without Jayson Tatum and a looming second apron/luxury tax consequence.

Holiday, according to Heavy.com Celtics reporter Steve Bulpett, is upset at the trade and has no interest in playing in Portland.

"Holiday was also expected to be a casualty of second apron concerns," Bulpett wrote Tuesday. "So he had to know the possibility was very real that he’d be dealt away from Boston, a place he’d developed ties with both the team and the community.

"According to one source close to the situation, Holiday is 'pissed' he’s going to Portland.

"'Now, if he winds up staying there, I’m sure he’ll be the professional he’s always been and make a positive contribution,' said the source. 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 is still, undoubtedly, a winning player. But his contract is becoming a negative asset as he ages. And it's not like Portland will move off of him like they did when they first acquired Holiday as part of the Damian Lillard trade.

However, I do think that Holiday can raise the defensive floor of the Trail Blazers and be an integral veteran presence around 21-year-old point guard Scoot Henderson.

Holiday played just one season with the Bruins in the 2008-09 season and started in all 35 of their games. He averaged 8.5 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game and helped lead UCLA to a 26-9 overall record.

He was also selected to the Pac-10 All-Freshman Team and was part of one of UCLA's best backcourt tandems with Darren Collison.

Holiday was drafted 17th overall by the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2009 NBA Draft and has since won two NBA Championships, is a two-time All-Star and has made the All-Defensive Team six times in his career.

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