If Jrue is to be traded...ideas

[Roy H.]

All it takes it two teams wanting him and a third team willing to take an extra salary for a low price.

The team taking on extra salary is the hard part, although I doubt any of us have combed through the salary tables like Brad has.

The MLE next season is going to be around $14 million.  So, technically, it's possible to trade Jrue for two expiring contracts of around $13 million each (but not more than $14.1 million), and re-route those into another team's MLE.

Here's everyone's base salary for 2026 if folks want to get creative:

  https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/player/_/year/2025/sort/cap_base

[Humble G]

All it takes it two teams wanting him and a third team willing to take an extra salary for a low price.

The team taking on extra salary is the hard part, although I doubt any of us have combed through the salary tables like Brad has.

The MLE next season is going to be around $14 million.  So, technically, it's possible to trade Jrue for two expiring contracts of around $13 million each (but not more than $14.1 million), and re-route those into another team's MLE.

Here's everyone's base salary for 2026 if folks want to get creative:

  https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/player/_/year/2025/sort/cap_base

Could Trade Exceptions be used as well to send to a third team? There are some teams with some decent size ones:
ATL $25mil expires 7/7/25
BKN $23mil expires 7/7/25
CHI $17 mil expires 2/3/26
SAC $16mil expires 2/3/26
MIA $16mil expires 2/6/26
ATL $13mil expires 2/6/26
NOP $13mil expires 2/6/26

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/transactions/trade-exceptions

[Roy H.]

All it takes it two teams wanting him and a third team willing to take an extra salary for a low price.

The team taking on extra salary is the hard part, although I doubt any of us have combed through the salary tables like Brad has.

The MLE next season is going to be around $14 million.  So, technically, it's possible to trade Jrue for two expiring contracts of around $13 million each (but not more than $14.1 million), and re-route those into another team's MLE.

Here's everyone's base salary for 2026 if folks want to get creative:

  https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/player/_/year/2025/sort/cap_base

Could Trade Exceptions be used as well to send to a third team? There are some teams with some decent size ones:
ATL $25mil expires 7/7/25
BKN $23mil expires 7/7/25
CHI $17 mil expires 2/3/26
SAC $16mil expires 2/3/26
MIA $16mil expires 2/6/26
ATL $13mil expires 2/6/26
NOP $13mil expires 2/6/26

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/transactions/trade-exceptions

Yes, so long as those TPEs aren't renounced for whatever reason.

So, for instance:

BOS trades:  Jrue Holiday
BOS receives:  Kris Dunn, LAC #2

LAC trades:  Norm Powell, two #2s
LAC receives:  Jrue Holiday

ATL trades:  protected #2, (TPE)
ATL receives:  Norm Powell, LAC #2

[Surferdad]

I know we both hope I'm right

For sure.  I'd love to keep him and run it back.  But, assuming that the team is going to aggressively cut salaries, I'd be beyond thrilled with expiring contracts and a #1 pick.  I don't think we'll get that, but I'm happy to be wrong.

At the moment I am leaning this way. I would try to trade KP instead, but I am not sure if that would get the payroll down to where it needs to be.

[slightly biased bias fan]

Celtics

Outgoing: Holiday, Hauser

Incoming: Ball, Collins, 2025 Kings 2nd round pick (45th) via Bulls


Bulls

Outgoing: Ball, Collins, 2025 Kings 2nd round pick (45th) via Bulls

Incoming: Holiday, Hauser


***

Celtics save 14 million with the trade (before stretching Collins 18 million expiring contract).

Boston Celtics

Ball
White
Brown
Horford (vet minimum)
Porzingis

Prichard


Chicago Bulls

Giddey
Holiday
Buzelis
Hauser
Vucevic

White

[perks-a-beast]

All it takes it two teams wanting him and a third team willing to take an extra salary for a low price.

The team taking on extra salary is the hard part, although I doubt any of us have combed through the salary tables like Brad has.

The MLE next season is going to be around $14 million.  So, technically, it's possible to trade Jrue for two expiring contracts of around $13 million each (but not more than $14.1 million), and re-route those into another team's MLE.

Here's everyone's base salary for 2026 if folks want to get creative:

  https://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/player/_/year/2025/sort/cap_base

Could Trade Exceptions be used as well to send to a third team? There are some teams with some decent size ones:
ATL $25mil expires 7/7/25
BKN $23mil expires 7/7/25
CHI $17 mil expires 2/3/26
SAC $16mil expires 2/3/26
MIA $16mil expires 2/6/26
ATL $13mil expires 2/6/26
NOP $13mil expires 2/6/26

https://www.spotrac.com/nba/transactions/trade-exceptions

Yes, so long as those TPEs aren't renounced for whatever reason.

So, for instance:

BOS trades:  Jrue Holiday
BOS receives:  Kris Dunn, LAC #2

LAC trades:  Norm Powell, two #2s
LAC receives:  Jrue Holiday

ATL trades:  protected #2, (TPE)
ATL receives:  Norm Powell, LAC #2

I definitely wouldnt hate this. I watched a lot of LAC this season, and I think Dunn is on par defensively with Jrue. Plus, he is 4 years younger and a hell of a lot cheaper. Only problem is he cant shoot a lick. Nuggets were leaving him open by like 10 feet in round 1.

[tazzmaniac]

Jrue + a second round pick for Gafford + Hardy (a 3rd team helps to facilitate)

Why are the Celtics giving up a pick in that? Gafford is a backup pick-and-roll big whose defense is a bit meh.

This feels like underrating Jrue to me.

Because he has 3 years & 100 million left on the contract and is 34. Same as KP you?re going to have to sweeten the pot to move these guys more than likely.

That extra year may be one too many, but that's pretty commonplace for a player like Jrue. He's a winning basketball player that you know can help win in big games in the playoffs. He is what Igoudala was for the Warriors.

It seems like we are treating him like he's an albatross contract, but when/if he gets traded, I think we are going to see he was highly valued around the league.

It's interesting that you bring up Igoudala.  He was at a similar age, a year removed from a championship and on a reasonable expiring contract when he was traded.  It cost GS a #1 to dump him.

Production at that point was vastly different though. Jrue is a year younger and averaging twice the points. He's a much better three point shooter, which allows his offense to decline more smoothly than Iggy's did. He also has more ability to create his own shot than Iggy did for his last 5 years in Golden State. Igoudala NEVER averaged the PPG in Golden State than Jrue did for Boston last year.

So, Jrue adds 3 more ppg, but costs $85 million more over three years.  I'm not sure that Jrue has significantly more trade value.

Now, you can argue that GS made a bad trade, particularly because Iggy was right back in the Finals the next year with Miami.  But, with the CBA being so restrictive right now, I'm not sure that a lot of teams are going to give up real assets.

I'm 100% sold on the "intangibles" argument for both guys, though.  They're two of my all-time favorite players, even when they put up lesser counting stats.  That said, I do think Jrue fell off a bit this year.

He did a bit but I think he'll bounce back in a better offensive fit.  He was the 5th option stuck in the corner shooting 3s but he's not a 3-and-D player.  He's a versatile combo guard.  He'd be a good fit for the Sixers but I don't see a trade there. 

[KungPoweChicken]

Outgoing player:
        Jrue Holiday
34 year old, 6-4, 205 lb G from UCLA
11.1 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 3.9 apg in 30.6 minutes in 2024-2025

Incoming players:
   Cole Anthony
25 year old, 6-2, 185 lb PG from North Carolina
9.4 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 2.9 apg in 18.4 minutes in 2024-2025
   Moe Wagner
28 year old, 6-11, 245 lb PF from Michigan
12.9 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 1.4 apg in 18.8 minutes in 2024-2025

[CFAN38]

So I had this trade idea but convinced myself it would be a hard NO from Dallas. Rather than count on the Nico factor I let it die. Now I see it pops up on bleacher report and twitter is debating it and not out right killing it so maybe its possible.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford

Nets (or another cap space team) gets Powell and a 2nd rd pick from boston


Dallas, this feels like an overpay for Jrue but if Nico really thinks Kyrie is coming back Jan/Feb or next season then they have Jrue play point till Kyrie is out then they play along side each other. In theory it makes sense Kyrie, Jrue, Flagg, AD, and Lively if all healthy will be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Celtics, its a nice roster balancing trade that adds two younger player in positions of need. PJ would thrive with the opportunities available to him on a Tatumless celtics team. Gafford is at least a solid starting piece for a very up in the air big man rotation. I am confident that a healthy PP, White, JB, PJ, and KP/Gafford lineup lands the Cs just above the play in next season.

[Who]

So I had this trade idea but convinced myself it would be a hard NO from Dallas. Rather than count on the Nico factor I let it die. Now I see it pops up on bleacher report and twitter is debating it and not out right killing it so maybe its possible.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford

Nets (or another cap space team) gets Powell and a 2nd rd pick from boston


Dallas, this feels like an overpay for Jrue but if Nico really thinks Kyrie is coming back Jan/Feb or next season then they have Jrue play point till Kyrie is out then they play along side each other. In theory it makes sense Kyrie, Jrue, Flagg, AD, and Lively if all healthy will be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Celtics, its a nice roster balancing trade that adds two younger player in positions of need. PJ would thrive with the opportunities available to him on a Tatumless celtics team. Gafford is at least a solid starting piece for a very up in the air big man rotation. I am confident that a healthy PP, White, JB, PJ, and KP/Gafford lineup lands the Cs just above the play in next season.

So the new look Mavs would be

G: Kyrie, (Dinwiddie), Brandon Williams
G: Jrue, Klay, (Exum), J Hardy
F: Cooper Flagg, Caleb Martin
F: Anthony Davis, Naji Marshall
C: D Lively, [AD], Dwight Powell

They have enough depth at forward to let PJ Washington go. Two starters. One high level reserve. A 2nd solid reserve. 4 quality forwards.

Letting go of Gafford makes them have to play AD at center (for around 18-20mpg) but makes good use of both AD's versatility and Flagg's versatility as a combo forward. They can use Klay at SF at times to get more shooting / scoring on the floor when needed. Or go with a defensive forward like Naji Marshall.

[Who]

So I had this trade idea but convinced myself it would be a hard NO from Dallas. Rather than count on the Nico factor I let it die. Now I see it pops up on bleacher report and twitter is debating it and not out right killing it so maybe its possible.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford

Nets (or another cap space team) gets Powell and a 2nd rd pick from boston


Dallas, this feels like an overpay for Jrue but if Nico really thinks Kyrie is coming back Jan/Feb or next season then they have Jrue play point till Kyrie is out then they play along side each other. In theory it makes sense Kyrie, Jrue, Flagg, AD, and Lively if all healthy will be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Celtics, its a nice roster balancing trade that adds two younger player in positions of need. PJ would thrive with the opportunities available to him on a Tatumless celtics team. Gafford is at least a solid starting piece for a very up in the air big man rotation. I am confident that a healthy PP, White, JB, PJ, and KP/Gafford lineup lands the Cs just above the play in next season.

If this happened, I'd start Hauser as Jrue's replacement.

G: D White, Pritchard
G: S Hauser, B Scheierman
F: Jaylen, PJ Washington
F: Tatum, Horford
C: Porzingis, Gafford

They have enough ball-handling with Tatum, D White, and Jaylen to get away with a spot up shooter like Hauser at guard. Gives them a lot of size. One big guard in D-White. Then 3 SF sized players. One big man.

Gafford and Horford allow Boston to go double big where they feel it necessary. Either with a rim roller like Gafford or a floor spacer like Horford alongside Porzingis. Or the two without Porzingis.

Pritchard allows them to go smaller in the backcourt with two ball-handling guards with D White shifting to SG. You gotta like the lineup versatility that this group would have.

PJ Washington as 6th man backing up both forward slots. Starting at PF while Tatum is out. Hmm ... might not have enough ball-handling without Tatum to use Hauser as a starter.

[wdleehi]

So I had this trade idea but convinced myself it would be a hard NO from Dallas. Rather than count on the Nico factor I let it die. Now I see it pops up on bleacher report and twitter is debating it and not out right killing it so maybe its possible.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford

Nets (or another cap space team) gets Powell and a 2nd rd pick from boston


Dallas, this feels like an overpay for Jrue but if Nico really thinks Kyrie is coming back Jan/Feb or next season then they have Jrue play point till Kyrie is out then they play along side each other. In theory it makes sense Kyrie, Jrue, Flagg, AD, and Lively if all healthy will be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Celtics, its a nice roster balancing trade that adds two younger player in positions of need. PJ would thrive with the opportunities available to him on a Tatumless celtics team. Gafford is at least a solid starting piece for a very up in the air big man rotation. I am confident that a healthy PP, White, JB, PJ, and KP/Gafford lineup lands the Cs just above the play in next season.

I think the Celtics need to shed more salary then that in such a move.   You would need the Nets to eat Gafford or Washington's contract.   Then just find a team to take Houser's contract and the Celtics are below the 2nd Apron.   

[gift]

Jrue to Dallas for Klay and PJ Washington?

Dallas needs guards, wants defense and could pair Jrue with Kyrie in the backcourt for the second half of the season.

PJ would be an expiring and Klay has a player option for the last year, which would effectively cut Jrue's salary slot in half after a year and then shorten the commitment to that money a year earlier than keeping Jrue.

If I'm Dallas, I don't do it, but if I'm Nico Harrison anything is possible. For Boston, I'd do it. Adds the needed flexibility and gives you decent players with roles that could potentially increase their value during a flux year in Boston.

[Humble G]

So I had this trade idea but convinced myself it would be a hard NO from Dallas. Rather than count on the Nico factor I let it die. Now I see it pops up on bleacher report and twitter is debating it and not out right killing it so maybe its possible.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford

Nets (or another cap space team) gets Powell and a 2nd rd pick from boston


Dallas, this feels like an overpay for Jrue but if Nico really thinks Kyrie is coming back Jan/Feb or next season then they have Jrue play point till Kyrie is out then they play along side each other. In theory it makes sense Kyrie, Jrue, Flagg, AD, and Lively if all healthy will be a team no one wants to face in the playoffs.

Celtics, its a nice roster balancing trade that adds two younger player in positions of need. PJ would thrive with the opportunities available to him on a Tatumless celtics team. Gafford is at least a solid starting piece for a very up in the air big man rotation. I am confident that a healthy PP, White, JB, PJ, and KP/Gafford lineup lands the Cs just above the play in next season.

I think the Celtics need to shed more salary then that in such a move.   You would need the Nets to eat Gafford or Washington's contract.   Then just find a team to take Houser's contract and the Celtics are below the 2nd Apron.

Maybe KP is the salary dump/shed.....to the lakers. Also trade out the Nets for the Hawks.

Dallas gets Jrue Holiday

Boston gets PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford, Gabe Vincent, #13 2025 pick from ATL, saves $23mil

Lakers get KP

Hawks get Rui Hachimura, Powell, 2025 1st from BOS

[CFAN38]

another idea to toss out there. Per Fanspo trade checker this would save the Cs 17.4 million

Celtics: Jonathan Issac + #16 via Orlando

Magic: Jrue Holiday + #36 via Orlando

Nets: Cole Anthony + Gary Harris


Cs: get a potential nice Al role replacement in Issac and a nice draft asset. Cs could use the pick in another trade for a player or package #16+#28+Hauser to move up further into the lottery.

Magic: Trading for Jrue is a move to take advantage of Tatum being out and Giannis likely getting moved.

Nets: Depending on how they build their roster Cole Anthony could be very productive for them.