May 25, 2023; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics guard Derrick White (9) reacts during the second quarter of game five against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals for the 2023 NBA playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: Winslow Townson-USA TODAY Sports
To cap off a successful offseason, the Boston Celtics acquire Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers.
With only one day remaining until media day and training camp kicks off, the Boston Celtics have wrapped up their hectic summer.
Arriving at Portland Trail Blazers with veteran guard Jrue Holiday less than a week after Holiday’s involvement in the bigger three-team trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks looks to have been the final (important) component.
The Celtics were forced to send big Robert Williams and guard Malcolm Brogdon to Portland in order to strengthen their perimeter defense and thwart Milwaukee’s most recent maneuver in a very competitive Eastern Conference. They also forfeited a 2029 unprotected first-round selection and the 2024 first-round pick of the Golden State Warriors, which the Celtics acquired in the summertime Marcus Smart deal.
Boston now has four players making more over $30 million annually, according to CapSheets.com’s Yossi Gozlan. This puts them at risk of anticipated luxury tax fines and combined contracts worth $214 million. Holiday is now their most expensive player until the next year, when Brown’s super-max becomes effective:
Note: This was prior to the Celtics and center Wenyen Gabriel reaching an agreement for a training camp.
Additionally, Boston’s stockpile of draft capital is not entirely depleted by this deal. In theory, they still have eight second-round picks, two future first-round selections, and the ability to trade picks in future transactions. It would be very hard to match contracts for anyone in the mid-level exception category without taking into account Derrick White’s $18.3 million or Al Horford’s $10 million, though, if they choose to bolster their depth with another deal. Put simply: Given their preferred playstyle and defensive qualities, Horford and White are too valuable, thus they will probably need to find cheaper choices and peripheral rotation players.
Not long after the day’s major announcement, Boston and free agent Wenyen Gabriel reached an agreement. He will sign a training camp contract with the Celtics, according to Shams Charania, and might end up on the final roster. With the Los Angeles Lakers, Gabriel participated in 68 games last season, starting 22% of his games at the four and 78% of his minutes at center. He will add more athletic bulk to Boston’s flexibility as a highly versatile defender and effective screen-and-roll option (shooting 64.7% from outside the arc with the Lakers).
