The Boston Celtics' hopes of repeating were dashed against the New York Knicks, which means they now turn to the offseason to retool. The Celtics must maintain their title hopes while also cutting costs, which is why the Utah Jazz are the perfect trade partner.
Next season will already be a tough enough challenge as it is for the Celtics, as they will likely play most of it without Jayson Tatum, if not all. However, they've also been in the NBA's second tax apron for two years and have made it clear they don't want to make it three, which means some of their players have to go.
One of those players is Jrue Holiday, who the Jazz wanted back in 2023. Holiday is declining, but he still is an excellent two-way guard, and the Jazz are one of the few teams with the cap flexibility to acquire him.
The Celtics may want to trade him with the hopes of saving money, but they also still want to stay a playoff-caliber team. That is how the Celtics and Jazz could agree to the following trade.
Jazz receive: Holiday
Celtics receive: Collin Sexton, KJ Martin
Why both teams would agree to this trade
For the Celtics, going from Holiday to Sexton is a two-way downgrade, but Sexton is a better bucket-getter, and the Celtics have shown that they have benefited from having a guard who can score. Over the years, Tatum and Jaylen Brown have thrived next to Kyrie Irving, Kemba Walker, and Malcolm Brogdon in separate seasons.
Defensively, it's unquestionably a downgrade, but Sexton has made more efforts to become a better all-around player in Utah. Perhaps in Boston, where more defenders surround him, he could fit and improve even more. Plus, Sexton deserves a chance to play for a winning team.
The Celtics will save $5.2 million from this trade, and waiving Martin would result in saving $13.2 million. Thus, they will save money and get a good player. Plus, they could re-work Martin's deal and add some depth to their frontcourt.
In a nutshell, the Celtics save money, get younger, and don't compromise too much of a title-winning roster. For the Jazz, they wouldn't be contenders from this, but it's still something they should consider regardless.
Even if the Jazz didn't have interest in Holiday before, he fits what they need. The Jazz's defense has been historically bad for the last two seasons, even with Kessler having a return-to-form season. Getting a defender is nice, but Holiday provides that, plus he's not a negative on offense.
Holiday is still a rare breed of guard who is good on both sides of the floor. The Jazz suffered from not having enough players who could be a positive force on both ends of the floor. He is a legitimate first step to putting a good two-way lineup on the floor.
The Jazz will be bad next season, but they can still build a more competitive team while constructing their next playoff team. Holiday helps with that.
He certainly is overpaid, and his contract will only get worse as it ages, but the Jazz should be more than comfortable paying him that money because of the long-term benefits it could have. Utah needs good veterans, and Holiday has shown himself to be one of the NBA's best teammates.
Young teams benefit from good influences, and the Jazz have had those in their locker room. Holiday gives them that
Plus, trading Sexton for Holiday removes some redundancy among their guards, as it gives them one less scoring guard while they still have Jordan Clarkson and Keyonte George. Holiday wouldn't remove a logjam, but at least the Jazz wouldn't have to worry about mixing and matching too many players who have the same style of play.
It will be a while before the Jazz build a contender, but they can help develop the mindset of one if Holiday is added to the team.