Injured Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum will miss playing with Jrue Holiday in the backcourt and Kristaps Porziņģis helping out around the rim. Tatum sent parting messages to both players following Boston’s trades with the Portland Trail Blazers and Atlanta Hawks.
A three-time NBA All-Star, Holiday helped the Celtics win the NBA Championship during the 2023-24 season, his first in Boston. General manager Brad Stevens orchestrated both trades this week in an effort to alleviate luxury tax worries.
Tatum and Holiday’s friendship began in the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo while both starred for Team USA.
“2 Gold medals and a championship! Forever grateful to have been your teammate. Great player and better person. My dawg for life,” Tatum captioned a photo on his Instagram story.
Holiday averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 assists this season while shooting 44.3% from the floor. He was instrumental in last season’s title charge with 19 postseason starts as one of the franchise’s top on-ball defenders.
Dealing Porziņģis leaves the Celtic without a versatile rim protector outside of Al Horford, who is on an expiring deal.
“Big fella!” Tatum wrote to Porziņģis in another post. “Never a doubt what you meant to this city and this team! thankful for you always champ!
Holiday and Porziņģis aren’t the only players who could play for new teams next season. Boston might not be done overhauling its roster after recent reports indicate the Celtics “listening to offers” for starters Jaylen Brown and Derrick White, but would need sizable trade packages in return.
With Tatum recovering from Achilles surgery and expected to miss the upcoming camping, Boston jumped into trade discussions with notable multi-team deals designated as cost-shedding moves ahead of the NBA Draft.
Brown agreed to a five-year, $304 million supermax extension in 2023 which was NBA’s richest deal in league history at the time. A perennial all-star, Brown earned NBA Finals MVP honors in 2024 and finished this season at 22.2 points and 4.5 assists per game.
“It means them phone lines are ringing in Boston,” ESPN’s Shams Charania said Tuesday night. “My understanding is the Celtics are getting offers and calls on both Jaylen Brown and Derrick White. The Celtics have high-price thresholds on both players. We now how great Brown and White are. I’m sure they’re getting massive offers, some big-time calls.
“Their preference has been to keep both players, but this is a team still in the first apron, a luxury tax team and still dealing with uncertainty of Tatum’s status next season.”
The Celtics hold two draft picks Wednesday night, No. 28 overall in the first round and the 32nd pick in the second.
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