The Boston Celtics made a big transaction ahead of training camp, acquiring star player Jrue Holiday from the Portland Trail Blazers.
After Holiday was traded from the Milwaukee Bucks to Portland in the Damian Lillard blockbuster last month, Boston was not mentioned much as a prospective landing point.
Front office boss Brad Stevens, on the other hand, was able to add his second star of the summer to join franchise stalwarts Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Kristaps Porzingis was acquired by the Celtics in a deal with the Washington Wizards earlier this summer.
So, how close was this deal to not going through? According to ESPN NBA insider Zach Lowe, several teams were in on the 33-year-old two-time All-Star. That includes a surprising Utah Jazz squad.
Lowe notes that Utah might not have been Holiday’s first choice given that the team is still technically in rebuild mode despite a surprising 2022-23 season.
This did not deter former Celtics front office head Danny Ainge and the Jazz from being in on Holiday. They were simply outbid by Boston. The Celtics ended up yielding guard Malcolm Brogdon, young big man Robert Williams and two first-round picks in order to acquire Holiday.
Jrue Holiday stats (2022-23): 19.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 48% shooting, 38% 3-point
In addition to being a five-time All-NBA Defensive Team performer, Holiday is a marked upgrade on offense from both Brogdon and Marcus Smart at point guard. He adds another dimension for Boston on both ends of the court.
The Utah Jazz, meanwhile, have traded franchise icons Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert ahead of the 2022-23 season. Most people assumed that Ainge and company were planning a full-scale rebuild.
Instead, the Jazz stunned many by finishing in the NBA Playoffs for the bulk of the season. Utah was 19-19 at the halfway point of the season before falling to 37-45.
The Jazz will currently rely on Collin Sexton and Kris Dunn to hold down the fort at the point. After acquiring star forward John Collins from the Atlanta Hawks for pennies on the dollar over the summer, adding Holiday would have given this squad an upgrade. Unfortunately, it was not to be.