Celtics save $180,000,000 NBA tax after trading Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis’ $63,131,707 contracts

The Boston Celtics’ rebuild has commenced as the former champions traded Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday to different teams. Porzingis was sent to the Atlanta Hawks via a three-way trade on Tuesday, while Holiday was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anfernee Simons.

While it’s a shame that the 2024 NBA world champions roster was short-lived, Boston dodged a huge bullet by trading away its assets. According to NBA insider Bobby Marks, the Holiday and Porzingis trade saved the Celtics from $180 million worth of tax penalties.

“Trading Kristaps Porzingis now puts Boston under the second apron,” Marks reported. “The Porzingis and Jrue Holiday trades save Boston a projected $180M in tax penalties.”

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Boston was expected to pay Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis a combined $63,131,707 next season. Holiday was expecting to receive $32.4 million, while Porzingis was expecting $30.7 million next year.

With two of Boston's key players now missing from the lineup, it's safe to assume that their roster has powered down a bit. Fortunately, with the extra budget, the organization now has wiggle room to acquire solid free agents during the offseason.

Celtics legend opens up about Jrue Holiday trade

Despite playing for only two seasons with the Boston Celtics, Jrue Holiday had an immediate impact on the team and brought home a title. His leadership and championship experience supported the duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in achieving their ultimate goal of becoming NBA champions.

However, with Holiday now out of the picture, the dynamic of the team might change, and not for the better. Boston legend Paul Pierce expressed his thoughts on Boston's decision to let go of the veteran point guard.

"We lost a lot in this trade," Pierce said. "We lost a champion, we lost a leader in the locker room, we lost a piece of the culture and DNA that he brought to the Celtics."

Jrue Holiday will suit up for his fifth team in his NBA career. Looking at the Trail Blazers' current roster, it's likely that Holiday won't have the same success he found in Boston, unless they acquire a star player to elevate the team's status in the league.

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Itiel Estudillo

Itiel Estudillo is an NBA journalist at Sportskeeda. He played for his basketball teams during elementary and high school. With strong sports writing and journalism skills, Itiel excels in crafting engaging narratives and staying updated with the latest NBA news and trends. He enjoys fact-checking, helping with research, and being a fresh set of eyes on fellow writers' articles.

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