The Boston Celtics are hoping that Olympic gold winner and NBA champion Jrue Holiday can help them win another championship after he spent only a few days playing for a team in the Western Conference.
Holiday, who had been traded to the Trail Blazers by Milwaukee last week in exchange for seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard, officially joined the Celtics on Sunday.
A source familiar with the agreement told the Associated Press on condition of anonymity that Boston sent point guard Malcolm Brogdon and forward Robert Williams to Portland in exchange for two future first-round picks.
ESPN was the first to break the news of the trade.
After Marcus Smart was traded to the Grizzlies in the offseason as part of a three-team deal that also included the Wizards and brought Kristaps Porzingis to Boston, Jrue Holiday was promoted to the starting point guard position.
Smart is a tenacious protector. Even Holiday doesn’t change much. He has been nominated for defensive player of the year in three of the last four seasons and has been named to the All-Defensive team five times (including first team last year).
Holiday, 33, had a career-best season in 2017–18, averaging 19.3 points and 7.4 assists while also being named to the All-Star team for the first time in a decade.
The Trail Blazers have now traded Lillard for four players (Deandre Ayton and Toumani Camara were also part of Wednesday’s transaction), three first-round picks, and two pick swaps, with Holiday for Brogdon, Williams, and additional draft money. That’s quite a haul for Lillard, who joined his new team on Saturday and was officially introduced to the Milwaukee faithful.