The Celtics had always hoped to keep Jrue Holiday on the roster beyond this season. This season, Holiday quickly saw Boston as a franchise he wanted to play for in the long run.
A day after agreeing to a four-year, $135 million contract deal with the Celtics, Holiday acknowledged Thursday that it was a relief as he prepared for a playoff run that he believes would culminate in his second NBA championship ring.
“Once I knew I was getting traded here, this is a part of what I wanted or what I envisioned,” Holiday told reporters Thursday. “Being in a great organization. Being here for a lengthy amount of time and being able to play alongside people like (Jayson Tatum) and (Jaylen Brown), and really try to get more banners and get more rings.”
Holiday will waive his previous contract’s $37.5 million player option for next season as part of the new arrangement.
It results in a minor wage decrease for the 33-year-old, but it gives the Celtics more flexibility in re-signing important players of their core. Tatum is eligible for a “supermax” extension this summer. Derrick White will also enter the final year of his deal next season.
“Mutually we came to an agreement and felt like it was best for not only me but for the team,” Holiday said.
Celtics head of basketball operations Brad Stevens recognized Holiday’s potential influence in Boston quickly after he was traded to Portland this offseason as part of the transaction that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
Stevens swooped in and traded Malcolm Brogdon, last season’s Sixth Man of the Year, and forward Robert Williams — along with two first-round draft picks — for Holiday.
It was a hefty price, but it’s offered a great return on investment.
“In addition to being one of the more accomplished players in the league, Jrue is an elite teammate and competitor. He is simply a person who raises everyone’s level around him,” Stevens said in a statement. “He combines an unselfishness to do whatever is best for the team with an edge to take on any challenge at any time.”
Holiday, a three-time NBA all-defensive first-team selection, has seen his scoring average fall to 12.5 points per game, the lowest since his third season in the league in 2011-12. However, he is hitting 43.1% from three and averaging 5.4 rebounds, both career highs. He’s also been a durable player, starting all 68 games this season.
Holiday believes his desire to play a chameleon-like role on the court has helped him adjust to life in Boston.
“Really just being me. Being wherever the team fits or whatever the team needs,” he said. “There’s going to be days where I’m scoring a lot, but there’s going to be days where I have to defend and get steals — well, I guess that’s every day. But there might be days where I’m shooting corner 3s. I feel like whatever fit that I fit in that game or in that time or in that moment — I’m here for that.”