Portland Trail Blazers guard Jrue Holiday has been sidelined since suffering a calf strain in their loss to the Houston Rockets on Nov. 14. The Blazers have fallen apart in his absence with a 3-10 stretch.
The drastic difference between how Portland looked at the start of the season with Holiday and how they've played as of late without him shows how valuable his playmaking and veteran presence have been for this young roster. It should be further confirmation that Portland was right to swap him for Anfernee Simons with the Boston Celtics this past summer.
Jrue Holiday's impact in Portland has exceeded expectations
Simons was an obvious trade candidate for Portland for several reasons. They wanted to proactively get ahead of his looming expiring contract, double down on their defensive identity, and gain more clarity in their backcourt. But the expectation was that the Blazers' front office would trade Simons for young assets that aligned with their rebuilding timeline. They surprisingly took the roster in the opposite direction, acquiring a 35-year-old Holiday coming off a relatively disappointing and injury-plagued season in Boston.
His contract, declining play, and questionable fit with Portland's rebuilding timeline led many analysts to question this decision. But 25 games into the season, this is turning out to be yet another trade in Portland's favor.
Simons has struggled to find his footing with the Celtics, who are already looking to trade him by February's trade deadline for similar reasons the Blazers moved on from the combo guard. Meanwhile, Holiday was having a resurgent 2025-26 season prior to the untimely injury, averaging 16.7 points, 8.3 assists, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.6 steals on 45/37/84 shooting splits.
The assists were the most promising development, as Holiday was stepping up as the Blazers' primary ballhandler in Scoot Henderson's absence, with Henderson still sidelined with a hamstring injury. Blazers beat reporter Casey Holdahl recently reported that Henderson is progressing well in his recovery but is still limited to non-contact work. Interim head coach Tiago Splitter will face the challenge of integrating Henderson back into the rotation and offense, but it's a good problem to have, especially given how depleted the Blazers backcourt has been as of late.
Swapping Simons for Holiday may have been viewed as contradictory to clear the path for Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, but Holiday's lower usage rate and unselfish play are proving to be a perfect fit for Portland's young core. Rather than getting in the way of their development, he's finding ways to enhance it, which includes establishing a winning culture in Portland.
While his contract may still be an overpay in the scheme of things, the impact Holiday has been having on this up-and-coming roster is proving to be invaluable. We've seen that in his play at the beginning of the season and especially in Portland's play as of late without him.