Demonstrate leadership in a new location and win a long-term contract
Two-time All-Star point guard Jrue Holiday has agreed to a four-year, $135 million contract extension with the Celtics.
Holiday made his debut with the 76ers as the 17th pick in the first round of the 2009 NBA Draft. He has since built up a track record with the Pelicans, and joined the Bucks in 2020, where he teamed up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and won his first NBA championship in the 2020-21 season. At this time, he participated in the Tokyo Olympics immediately after winning the NBA championship. His playmaking, which brings out the individual talents of his teammates to the fullest, even on the fly, helped the U.S. national team win the gold medal.
Holiday intended to play his entire career with the Bucks, but was traded before the start of this season. He was traded to the Trail Blazers after the Bucks moved to acquire Damian Lillard, but then was traded to the Celtics for Robert Williams III, Malcolm Brogdon, and two first-round picks. The Celtics have always been a top team in the Eastern Conference, but with the addition of Holiday’s solid playmaking and defense, they have become more stable, and are now showing off their strength with a record of 62 wins and 17 losses.
Holiday is not only highly regarded as a point guard, but also as a person of character and a team leader. With Jaylen Brown being 27 years old and Jayson Tatum being 26 years old, both of the Celtics’ ace players are still young, so Holiday quickly fit in with the team and demonstrated leadership. His contributions in this area are also likely why the Celtics offered him a long-term contract.
Holiday had one year left on his current four-year contract with the Bucks, but he will waive the final year as a player option and sign a new long-term contract through the 2027-28 season. His annual salary in the final year of his contract was $39 million (approximately 6 billion yen), but his new contract reduces that salary to $30 million (approximately 4.5 billion yen). By keeping the salary cap in check, the Celtics can maintain their core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, and Derrick White. On the other hand, Holiday, who is currently 33 years old, will be able to enjoy a stable twilight years of his career by signing a long-term contract, although his annual salary will be lower next season.
Holiday isn’t young at 33 years old, but he has played consistently in 68 of 79 games this season, averaging 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Since last season, when he played for the Bucks, his points have dropped significantly from 19.3 to 12.5 and his assists from 7.4 to 4.9, but with the Celtics, they are thoroughly sharing their plays in both scoring and assisting, which has actually helped the team improve on the season. He has been highly praised for his contribution to demonstrating his rock-solid strength throughout.
This also shows the changes in the team structure due to the change in the Celtics’ organization from Danny Ainge to Brad Stevens. Stevens clearly prefers a “continuation route” to Ainge, and is building a team that builds up each year rather than making major changes. The Celtics are in great shape this season, and of course they aim to win the playoffs, which will be coming soon, but regardless of their performance, they intend to maintain, add depth, and build on their current team.
2024-04-11 13:56:08
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