Why did the Portland Trail Blazers trade for veteran Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday? The Blazers agreed to deal 26-year-old guard Anfernee Simons to the Celtics earlier this week, and the reasoning for the deal on Boston’s side of the trade was about as clear as it gets. The Celtics were looking at one of the largest repeater tax bills in NBA history if they did not reduce salary on their 2024 title core.
The motivation for the move on Portland’s side of the deal was not so evident though, with an older player on a large contract better geared for making a contender complete than a young roster like that of the Trail Blazers. To get a better idea of why Portland made the deal, the cohost of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast, Bobby Manning, linked up with Blazers analyst Aaron Fentress from the Oregonian to talk it over.
Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say about why Portland did this deal with Boston.
If you enjoy this pod, check out the “How Bout Them Celtics,” “First to the Floor,” and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network: https://ytubl.ink/3Ffk
This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Why did the Blazers trade for veteran Celtics guard Jrue Holiday?
