After arriving in a blockbuster offseason trade, Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday has agreed on a four-year, $135 million contract extension, his agent, Jason Glushon of Glushon Sports Management, told ESPN on Wednesday.
Holiday is declining his $37.3 million player option for 2024-25 to sign a long-term deal that’ll take him through the 2027-28 season, Glushon said.
Holiday’s extension saves the Celtics several million dollars on the cap next year and aids in keeping together a talented and expensive core of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and Holiday that’s led the franchise to the NBA’s best record this season. With Holiday’s extension, the Celtics are destined to be a second apron team in 2024-25.
Holiday will become the fourth player to sign a guaranteed deal worth more than $100 million at 33 or older — a list that also includes LeBron James, Stephen Curry and Al Horford.
The timing of the deal largely mirrors Holiday’s arrival and extension with the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2021 season. Holiday arrived in a trade from New Orleans, taking several months to gauge his confidence and comfort in the organization before signing a similar four-year, $135 million contract extension. In the ensuing months, Holiday won an NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal — something he’ll try to repeat in 2024 with the Celtics and Team USA.
Holiday’s scoring average has understandably dropped upon arriving to the Celtics’ starry lineup, but he’s shooting a career-best 43% on 3-pointers — including 62% on corner 3s, which is the best season of any player with 50-plus attempts in the past 25 years of NBA basketball.
He remains one of the most versatile and accomplished defenders in the NBA, matching up this season against guards, forwards and centers. For example, Holiday — a five-time All-NBA defensive selection — has defended 19 players 40-plus half-court matchups this season, including New York’s Jalen Brunson, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and New Orleans’ Zion Williamson, according to ESPN Stats & Information research.
Holiday arrived to the Celtics in a September trade from the Portland Trail Blazers, where he spent several days in the aftermath of a three-way deal that landed Damian Lillard with the Bucks. The extension further thins the free agent market, eliminating a player in Holiday who would’ve been coveted throughout the league — especially in Philadelphia, where there’s a possibility of a maximum salary slot.
Daniel Miller is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. His coverage spans from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis for sports enthusiasts.
