The Boston Celtics seem to be doing a huge overhaul after a depressing playoff run where Jayson Tatum tore his Achilles, ending their hopes to win back-to-back championships. Right after the NBA Finals, the C’s made a huge cleanup by trading veteran point guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trailblazers and got Anfernee Simons and two future second-round picks in return. Looking at it, the trade was a win-win situation. However, should the Blazers keep Holiday next season or just trade him this summer and maybe improve their roster?
Portland Wants to “Compete” Again
Some of you might think that the words “Trailblazers”, “compete”, and “Western Conference” doesn’t belong in the same sentence. However, that’s what Portland general manager Joe Cronin thinks after acquiring Jrue Holiday from the Boston Celtics.
For the second time in two years, Holiday landed in Portland as part of another blockbuster trade. However, this time around, the Blazers look like they want to keep him. The 35-year-old veteran point guard has been a champion in two different teams, the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and the Boston Celtics in 2024. He’s always been a good playmaker and scorer, but what he really brings to the table is his exceptional defense.
Portland hasn’t seen success for decades now, even back then with Damian Lillard at the helm, and Cronin is making a wishful thinking that it’ll change with Holiday leading the group.
The People Have Spoken
Fans, pundits, analysts, and even casual viewers all have the same opinion—flip Holiday for more assets.
Portland finished their 2024-2025 campaign as the 12th seed in the stacked Western Conference after a 36-46 win-loss record. Although it wasn’t so bad considering that they were literally playing against the Thunder, Rockets, Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, Nuggets, Clippers, Mavericks, and the Grizzlies in the same conference, the pieces they currently have just proved that they are still far from being contenders. Despite Jrue Holiday’s veteran presence and championship pedigree, he most likely will not put the team in that category.
Trading the two-time champ in exchange for more picks and more pieces can add depth to Portland, while also allowing their young guys to develop into stars. In a heartbeat, a lot of championship hopefuls would want a guy like Jrue Holiday on their team. Teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and the Detroit Pistons would most definitely jump on the Blazers’ newly acquired point guard.
The Trailblazers are still in the rebuilding phase and the future is still bright in Rip City. Scoot Henderson is coming on his own, albeit slow, but still worth keeping an eye on; Shaedon Sharpe is an excellent scorer with high ceiling; Deandre Ayton is thriving but still needs a lot to work on; Donovan Clingan shows some flashes of talent in his rookie year; and they have solid role players like Deni Avdija, Robert Williams III, Matisse Thybulle, and Jerami Grant.
Portland already has a pretty good squad, but they still need more to push them to the next level. But, right now, they are still far from being one of the top teams in the West, even with Holiday.
