The Portland Trail Blazers acquired Jrue Holiday from the Boston Celtics in what turned out to be a one-for-one swap for Anfernee Simons. That was yet another bold move by general manager Joe Cronin that has worked out in Portland's favor.
The Blazers didn't have to sacrifice any future assets to land Holiday. Rather, they paid for it financially, taking on his $104.4 million salary owed over the next three seasons. The Blazers capitalized on the Celtics financial crunch, as Boston was looking to duck the second apron.
At the time, some viewed it as a massive overpay for Holiday, who was coming off a relatively underwhelming season with Boston in which he averaged 11.1 points and 3.9 assists per game. Holiday quickly changed that narrative in Portland, proving his declining numbers were more the result of injury and a limited role than anything else.
He's had a successful first year in Portland, silencing the doubters by showing he has plenty of gas left in the tank at 35.
Jrue Holiday is proving Portland right a season later
Without Holiday, the Blazers wouldn't have a realistic shot at the postseason. He's provided a two-way impact, offering them much-needed playmaking, floor spacing, and shot creation on the offensive end.
One season later, the trade has worked out exactly as Cronin had intended. Simons was finally finding his footing in Boston, providing value as a combo guard to bring a spark off the bench. However, the Celtics were essentially shopping Simons the second he landed in Beantown. They primarily traded him for financial reasons, coming to the same conclusion as Portland. The value of these undersized, offensive-minded guards has drastically declined, as teams finally realize how difficult it is to have an elite defense with a weak link as a key player.
The fact that Boston was only able to turn Simons into a 35-year-old Nikola Vucevic at the trade deadline is telling. Between Holiday, Simons, and Vucevic, it's clear who is the best player and has the most value.
Holiday's bounce-back season puts Portland in a prime position heading into what will be a pivotal offseason under new owner Tom Dundon. They can keep Holiday around to help accelerate their rebuild around Damian Lillard's closing window. Or, they could flip Holiday for a second time, getting a better return than anything they would've gotten for Simons.
In the meantime, this season has been exactly as advertised. Holiday is keeping the Blazers competitive out west while also providing veteran mentorship. On the surface, trading for an aging guard didn't quite make sense for Portland's rebuild. But as this season has shown, Holiday is exactly what they needed, the glue holding everything together.