Jrue Holiday Praises Brad Stevens for How He Handled Trade to Blazers

Jrue Holiday was part of what seemed like a designed roster overhaul to tank this past offseason, but as it turned out, Boston Celtics PBO Brad Stevens was merely cutting ties with some of the bigger salaries on the books that were being spent on aging or injured players, while also not signing new ones.

Stevens traded away Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis, while not re-signing Al Horford or Luke Kornet. Holiday recently revealed that Stevens executed his trade to the Portland Trail Blazers with as much transparency and respect as possible from the organization's side.

“Brad communicated that (a trade was possible), and I appreciate him for it — that it was a possibility,” Holiday told The Athletic's Jay King. “He even said that it might not happen; we don’t know. So, just the fact that … I mean, Brad being Brad, but him having hard conversations and being able to say something like that, I respect him. I’m really glad that he was able to just give me fair warning.”

Stevens hasn't always been known to operate this way.

Marcus Smart Had Different Trade Experience With Brad Stevens

Marcus Smart, on the other hand, said he felt blindsided by Stevens when Smart was involved in a three-team trade in June 2023 that sent him to the Memphis Grizzlies and brought Porziņģis to Boston.

"It was definitely shocking to find out that way. We was expecting [to stay]. But for me, I understand the business side of it. Anybody who knows me knows that I'm the first one to tell people, you can't put personal with business, it just doesn't mix. And if you do, you're going to get yourself hurt. I understand it's a business," Smart told The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn. "But for me, it was just the [lack of] courtesy. They probably already knew they were thinking about trading me. They had this trade in their back pocket just in case something else didn't happen. And for me, it's just the simple fact, 'Hey, we're thinking about trading you, most likely we'll trade you, just letting you know.' Especially telling me [I'm safe] the week before and my house flooding. It was all a lot at once."

One wonders if Stevens' handling of the Smart trade means No. 36 will wait to make any return to the Celtics only once Stevens is gone. Of course, it's more likely that Stevens' career in Boston's front office outlives Smart's playing career.

As for Holiday, the door may always be open for a return, given the return on investment during his two seasons with the team. The odds are high that Holiday will play out his contract and call it a career, though, having earned over $300 million playing in the NBA and won two championships.