Celtics 3 for 1! Holiday leaves the team!

In the 2024-2025 season, the Celtics received an injury that affected their title defense, but a new news about the team attracted the attention of fans. Zhu Holiday was traded by the Celtics to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for Anthony Simmons and two second-round draft picks, and avoided the "high luxury tax". It can be considered a killing of multiple goals!

Holiday came from the Bucks to the Trail Blazers through trade in 2023, and was later traded to the Celtics. In 2024, Holiday won the championship with the Celtics and played a key role in the game. The Celtics are determined to defend the title this season, but in the second round of the playoffs, the Celtics were eliminated by the Knicks, and the team's core Tatum also suffered a "severance of Achilles tendon rupture" recovery period is uncertain and the status is unknown. This offseason, the Celtics' high "total salary" plus the new season, their competitiveness has declined, and there is no big hope of winning the championship. The team's main goal is to reduce "salary" and avoid high "luxury taxes".

Simmons is in the contract year of the 2025-2026 season, and his total salary is far lower than Holiday, who has three years of contract, so this deal can solve some of the salary problems for the Celtics.

As a guard, Holiday, as a guard, played 62 games in the regular season, played more than 30 minutes, averaging 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 1.1 steals, shooting percentage of 44.3%, 1.7 three-pointers per game, shooting percentage of 35.3%, 1.2 turnovers, 1.6 fouls, and 1.2 free throws, shooting percentage of 90.9%. He scored a double-double in the regular season, averaged 9.5 points, 4 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game, and shooting percentage of 48.3%. Compared with his peak period, Holiday, 35, has poor offensive stability and physical fitness declined, mainly because of his good defense and experience.

Anfenny Simmons, only 26 years old, is at the peak of his career. In the 2024-2025 season, he played 70 games, averaged 19.3 points, 2.7 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 16.1 shooting, 42.6%, averaged 3 points and a three-pointer per game, with a shooting percentage of 36.3%, and a free throw shooting percentage of more than 90%, which can release a certain amount of With a salary space, you can get a potential defender’s right to use one year, and there are two second round picks. In the past two seasons, Simmons has averaged more than three three-pointers per game. The Celtics rely heavily on the outside to win. Simmons, who has guaranteed energy and physical fitness, is very suitable for Mazula’s tactical system. Tatum’s return is uncertain next season. If Simmons performs well, he will play a more important role and become the team’s scorer. This time the choice is also good.

Stevens is indeed quite courageous to join the management of the "Celtic Shirts". At that time, he insisted on "Double Tanhua as the core of building the team". He successfully won the championship in 2024. He sent Holiday away this season and got Simmons. He also had two second-round draft picks. He could use it as a bargaining chip to adjust the lineup for the team. However, after doing this, Tatum + Jaylen Brown + Holiday + Porzingis, the "four giants of the Celtics have disbanded." It is a pity.

The transactions in the NBA transfer market this offseason are very lively. The Rockets and Suns are 8-for-1, using Jaylen Green, Dillon, the 10th pick in the first round, plus 5 second round picks to get Durant, and the news of the Celtics will also be reported one after another. What changes will happen to the "Celtics"? What other players will be trading in the NBA league that attracts attention? What do fans think of who will become the "big winner"?