Celtic rumor: Ju Holiday deal faces challenges

NBA rumors say that the Boston Celtics may face challenges in trading Ju Holiday amid offseason uncertainty.

The Boston Celtics may face the challenge of trading veteran guard Ju Holiday in the offseason as they deal with financial pressure on the estimated $500 million salary total. According to The Stein Line's Jack Fischer, several rival executives believe the Boston Celtics may need to attach some incentives, such as draft picks, to undraft Holiday's contract, which still has $104 million in the next three seasons.

34-year-old Holiday played a key role in Boston's 2024 championship, but now he has become the focus of offseason speculation. Fischer reported that while Holiday's experience and championship-winning experience remained highly respected in the league, some management was reluctant to accept his contract without paying additional compensation.

"The Celtics may need to attach some form of incentives (such as draft compensation) to Holiday's contract to convince someone to bear the remaining $104 million," Fischer wrote.

Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.1 steals in 62 games, shooting 44.3% from the field and 35.3% from three-point shooting percentage in 62 games. Although his shooting percentage has dropped slightly, his outstanding performance and leadership on the defensive end are still precious throughout the year.

Jason Tatum's injury and salary pressure cast a shadow over the offseason, and the Celtics are weighing Ju Holiday's future.

Holiday and center Christapus Porzingis often appear in deal rumors, and Boston is evaluating options to reduce long-term salary commitments. Porzingis, who earned $30.7 million in the 2025-26 season, was considered to be more likely to be traded among the two because of his contract expiration.

After being eliminated by the New York Knicks in the second round of the playoffs, the Celtics are facing more and more lineup adjustments. The team's defending journey ended in Game 6, 81-119, with All-Star Jason Tatum expected to miss most of next season due to a torn Achilles tendon.

Basketball Operations President Brad Stevens admitted that the road ahead was challenging at the media meeting at the end of the season.

"I know there will be a lot of questions next," Stevens said. “At the end of the day, I think it all stems from a goal that always inspires us: ‘How can we get ourselves better in the competition for the championship?’”

Stevens refuses to dig deep into the financial details of the labor agreement or the impact of the luxury tax.

"I don't want to talk about labor agreements and that nonsense," he added. “In fact, we lost a crushing defeat in the first two games (versus the Knicks), which is why we were in trouble.”

Boston management now has to weigh in on whether the veteran core roster is sustainable or whether there is a need to make a roster adjustment to balance financial flexibility and ongoing title scramble. Holiday's transaction value and contract status are likely to remain key to this discussion.