The Portland Trail Blazers swapped Anfernee Simons for Jrue Holiday with the Boston Celtics this offseason. It was a polarizing move due to concerns surrounding Holiday's declining play, contract, and fit with Portland's rebuilding timeline.
Holiday has already addressed these concerns with his play for Portland, justifying not only the trade but also the steep price tag of $104 million over the next three years (including a player option in 2027-28).
He's averaging 16.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and most importantly, 8.3 assists per game on 45/37/84 shooting splits. Holiday's numbers in Portland show that his decline in Boston was primarily due to injury and embracing a lessened role. The Blazers' offense desperately needed more playmaking, and Holiday is stepping up in that role as a traditional point guard in Scoot Henderson's absence.
We unfortunately just saw the value of having Holiday's calming veteran presence and underrated table-setting ability in Portland's 138-133 overtime loss to the depleted Dallas Mavericks, which he missed due to calf soreness. But the silver lining to that loss is that it should make this Holiday trade look even better for Portland.
Jrue Holiday is proving to be a major upgrade over Anfernee Simons
The Blazers viewed the addition of their 35-year-old guard as a move that sets them up for both the short and long term. The former was immediately apparent from the second Holiday put on a Blazers jersey, but we're finally seeing how it also has a positive impact on the latter as well. Their young core struggled with inefficient play without Holiday in the picture, particularly Shaedon Sharpe, who finished with 36 points but on 12-of-32 shooting from the field.
With his two-way impact, Holiday is elevating Portland's overall play to get them back in the postseason conversation. On the defensive end, he's proving to be a perfect fit for the Blazers' newfound identity, especially given his underappreciated versatility as a 6-foot-4 guard.
Offensively, he's proving to be a more reliable and willing playmaker than Simons, giving their youth more opportunities to grow.
The defensive upgrade was the obvious selling point for the Holiday-Simons swap, but the consistent play and playmaking were overlooked factors that are benefiting Portland this season. Overall, Simons has been playing well for Boston, but you never quite know what version of him you are going to get. That created a ripple effect throughout the Blazers' entire roster last season.
Now, with Holiday leading the way, Portland has a much higher floor on a nightly basis. That level of consistent play will do wonders in helping a young Blazers roster enter the next phase of their rebuild.