When the Boston Celtics acquired Jrue Holiday in a blockbuster trade with the Portland Trail Blazers back in October, the expectation was that he’d play a huge role for the team.
Fast forward several months, and Boston is heading into the playoffs as the odds-on favorite to win the NBA title.
It sits at 62-17 with three games remaining in the regular season and 14 games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference.
Despite seeing his numbers decrease in comparison to previous stops with the Philadelphia 76ers, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, Holiday has played an important role in Boston’s success.
Accordingly, the two-time All-Star and five-time All-NBA Defensive Team performer has now cashed in big time.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Boston has inked Holiday to a four-year, $135 million contract extension. Per the report, Holiday is declining his $37.3 million player option for the 2024-25 season. This will save the Celtics countless millions against the 2024-25 NBA salary cap. It’s a win-win for all involved.
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Jrue Holiday joins elite club after signing contract extension with the Boston Celtics
Holiday’s contract comes with north of $100 million guaranteed. He now joins the likes of LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Al Horford as the only NBA players in history to receive that much guaranteed at the age of 33 or older.
It’s not like Holiday doesn’t deserve this paycheck. He’s been among the most-underrated players in the NBA since making his debut with Philadelphia back in 2009-10.
- Jrue Holiday career stats: 16.1 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 6.4 APG, 46% shooting, 37% 3-point
Holiday has seen his PPG (12.5), RPG (5.4) and APG (4.9) dip this season. But that has more to do with the presence of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Boston. He’s still playing at an elite level defensively and can run an offense with the best of them.