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[Saba Sports News] The Boston Celtics have secured their recent trade acquisition for the long haul, ensuring that Jrue Holiday won’t just be a temporary addition. ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the guard has agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension with the Celtics, which will keep him in Boston until 2028.
Holiday, a two-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive team member, came to Boston via a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers this offseason. He had the option to leave this summer by declining a $37.4 million player option for the next season. Instead, his new deal will supersede that option, adding three more years.
While the extension, averaging nearly $34 million annually, represents a savings for next season, it’s a considerable commitment to Holiday, who will soon turn 34 and hasn’t played 70 games in a season since 2017-18. Despite scoring a decade-low of 12.5 points and 4.9 assists per game this season—possibly due to the Celtics’ strong offensive lineup—Holiday remains a top defender. He’s also shooting threes at a career-best 43.1 percent this year.
The Celtics are betting on Holiday to bolster their championship aspirations and provide an edge over his former teams.