The Boston Celtics reportedly have emerged as potential suitors for New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.
Boston has three first-round picks in the upcoming NBA draft, and the team reportedly plans to package those picks to move up.
If it can, Boston will then try to use that more valuable pick to entice the Pelicans into dealing Holiday, according to The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor.
“The Celtics have offered up their three first-round picks (nos. 14, 26, and 30) in trades to try and move into the lottery, but multiple league sources say they intend to reroute that pick to the Pelicans in exchange for Jrue Holiday,” O’Connor wrote. “If Boston is able to acquire the necessary assets, it’d still need to add salaries to make a deal work. Could that mean Gordon Hayward or Kemba Walker could be on the move? No matter the case, the Celtics are up to something big to try and bolster their title odds. If they keep the 14th pick, [R.J.] Hampton makes sense because he could immediately serve as a spark-plug scorer off the bench and provide long-term upside.”
It would be a huge move for the Celtics.
Holiday would provide Boston with another elite wing player. On top of that, Holiday averaged 19.1 points per game last season.
The Celtics clearly feel that they are in a championship window, and Holiday could help them take the next step.
