Holiday had a quiet Game 3 performance, putting up nine points. His constant defensive pressure means even if his offense isn’t clicking, he’s a positive contributor on the court. He was the team’s star in Game 2, putting up 26 points and 11 rebounds, proving he can step up when they need him to.
Holiday got to the Celtics after the Milwaukee Bucks traded him away to the Portland Trail Blazers to acquire Damian Lillard, with the Blazers then flipping Holiday to the Celtics for Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams, 2024 first-round pick (via Warriors), 2029 unprotected first-round pick (via Celtics).
This was the perfect situation for Holiday, as he didn’t have the offensive load that exposed him in the 2023 Playoffs, allowing him to play within the rhythm of the game while providing All-NBA perimeter defense.
Jrue Holiday Was Not Happy About How The Bucks Traded Him
Jrue Holiday won a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 but he was traded away for Damian Lillard last summer to add more offensive firepower to the roster. Holiday detailed his poor experience with how the Bucks traded him away without prior notice.
“I’m taking a nap. I see the text, I see a call from the GM and I’m like, I’ll call him back. Like I’m deep in this nap too. I’m saying it’s a good one. And then two seconds later, my agent calls me. So I pick up this call. He’s like, you talked to him? I’m like, nah bro, I’m sleeping.”
“He’s like, well, you just got traded, so you should probably call him back. And then I ended up looking at my phone, he ended up texting me everything that was happening, like, yeah, we traded you here, here. And then I ended up calling him, and he ended up saying like, yeah, we traded you for Damian Lillard.”
“So I also had no clue. I think for me, it was just a shock because at least let me know 24 hours in advance, not five minutes in advance. And maybe I’m asking for too much. It’s kind of like, I mean, I won there.”
The Bucks were eliminated in the first round after injuries to both Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo. Lillard had an average debut season with the Bucks as well, averaging 24.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 7.0 assists on 42.4% from the field.
He averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists this season. The two-time All-Star is averaging 15.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 4.3 assists in the NBA Finals, proving to be an inspired acquisition.