Celtics, Trail Blazers Finally Complete Jrue Holiday Trade, But With One Big Change

The deal between Boston and Portland is now a true one-for-one player swap.

Holiday is still heading to Portland. / Eric Canha-Imagn Images

With the 2025-26 NBA season now open for business, the bevy of trades and signings that had been agreed upon over the last several weeks are becoming "officially official"—and with that comes some changes and details that need to be fleshed out.

One deal completed on Monday was the Boston Celtics' trade of Jrue Holiday—though it was done so with a significant adjustment. Originally reported by ESPN's Shams Charania as Holiday heading to the Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons and two second-round picks, the deal has been reduced to simply a player swap, without the draft capital going from Portland to Boston.

Aaron Fentess of The Oregonian reports that the change is due to the Trail Blazers' review of Holiday's medicals.

"Holiday’s medicals revealed nothing substantial enough to warrant the trade being negated," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter). "However, there was enough there to lead the Blazers to slightly alter the terms of the deal."

"Holiday ... is considered to be healthy," Fentess continued. "And will be working out this summer in preparation for the start of training camp near the end of September."

The 35-year-old Holiday has three years remaining on the $135 million extension he signed last summer. Simons, meanwhile, heads to Boston in a contract year—set to make just over $27 million.

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