The Trail Blazers' generous gift that put the Celtics over the top

Jrue Holiday has been one of the most essential pieces for the Celtics in their two 2024 NBA Finals victories. He was especially impressive in Game 2, leading all Celtics scorers with 26 points, 11 rebounds, and three assists on an efficient 11 of 14 shooting from the field.

This season with Boston, Holiday has averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists on 48/43/83 shooting splits. Holiday's points are the lowest he has averaged since his rookie season, but he’s also shooting the most accurate three-ball in his entire career due to the higher quality of attempts.

He’s the perfect point guard for the Celtics to play alongside Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown as someone who can impact winning without requiring a high usage rate, which is rare for a guard.

Blazers' Jrue Holiday trade benefits Celtics in 2024 NBA Finals

The Blazers' trading Holiday to the Celtics made sense at the time, given their post-Damian Lillard rebuild. But given Holiday's impact in this year's playoffs, it appears the Celtics received the better end of the deal. Here is what the trade entailed:

Boston's superstar wing duo of Tatum and Brown have now made six Eastern Conference Finals appearances together. However, they have not yet been able to get over the hump. Despite their playoff success, they have no rings to show (at least yet). Although the Finals aren't over, Holiday seems like the piece they needed to help put them over the top.

However, it remains to be seen how the trade plays out for the Blazers. They are still potentially flipping some of the assets they received from last offseason's deal. The 2024 first-round pick from the Warriors was better than expected, as it landed them the No. 14 pick.

Malcolm Brogdon has continued to play well for the Blazers this season and should likely net them another first-round pick if they decide to trade him this summer. Robert Williams is another valuable asset when healthy, but he hasn’t been able to stay on the court, playing only six games for the Blazers.

While it’s a lot of assets to give up for Holiday, the Celtics still make this trade ten times out of ten. Holiday’s impact so far in the NBA Finals supports that even further.

Portland's gift to Boston may ultimately be the key to helping Tatum and Brown get their first ring.