Jrue Holiday Reportedly Signs Four-Year Extension With Celtics

With two games left before the playoffs commence, the Celtics and Jrue Holiday reached a contract extension agreement that’ll help keep Boston’s NBA-best (62-17) roster intact for the next few seasons — four to be exact.

Holiday, who Boston acquired in the offseason, agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension with the Celtics, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The 33-year-old veteran declined his $37.3 million player option for 2024-25 and elected to commit to Boston and its star-studded core which has helped turn the page throughout its nearly-spotless 2023-24 run.

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens and team governor Wyc Grousbeck wasted no time. Stevens was all smiles during Holiday’s introductory presser conference in October after flipping Robert Williams III and Malcolm Brogdon to the Portland Trail Blazers in exchange for the two-time All-Star. Hopes were high upon Holiday’s arrival, but watching that vision come to life throughout an impressive first year in Boston (clearly) left a more-than-acceptable first impression around the organization.

“He came in here very willing, very open-minded, not stepping on anybody’s toes and just wanting to work,” Celtics veteran Al Horford told Mirin Fader of The Ringer before Holiday’s payday. “The thing that’s impressed me about him is his work ethic and how he goes about his daily routine and then really just embracing our players, embracing what we had here, and trying to find his way with this group.”

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— Boston Celtics (@celtics) October 28, 2023

Holiday’s been at the forefront of providing the Celtics with everything they’ve needed to succeed, plus more: defensive leadership, offensive stabilization and a willingness to buy into Boston’s team-first motto. This required Holiday’s shot attempt total to fall from 15.3 last season with the Milwaukee Bucks, to 10 — the fewest since his rookie year in 2009-10.

That’s made minimal impact on Holiday’s offensive impact as he’s averaged 12.5 points on a career-high 43% shooting from three, including draining 60-plus-percent of 3-pointers from the corners to lead the NBA.

On the other end of the floor, Holiday — in tandem with Derrick White — has applied his leaguewide defensive reputation to repair Boston’s identity in halting opposing offenses. The Celtics lead the East in defensive rating (110.5) while Holiday leads all conference guards in rebounds (5.3), sitting second in blocks (0.8) behind White (1.2).

Holiday reached eligibility for an extension on April 1, which could’ve reached an annual salary as high as $51 million. Obviously, that derails any possibility of Stevens and Grousbeck maintaining the gold they’ve struck in the team’s current starting five and also didn’t make sense when considering Holiday’s age. Nevertheless, keeping Holiday in Celtics green after having already re-signed Porzingis before the season until 2025-26, ensures that Boston’s championship window remains wide open.

The extension also grants Holiday four more seasons of redemption for Milwaukee’s choice to trade him for Damian Lillard — an added sweetener.