NBA Rumors: Celtics, Jrue Holiday Share ‘Interest’ In Contract Extension

When Jrue Holiday joined the Celtics this past offseason, it was known that both sides would need to find a middle ground on a new contract to extend the 33-year-old's tenure in Boston beyond the 2023-24 season.

Getting a deal done has remained on the back burner, though, as Holiday's increasingly made his value apparent to the Celtics in 61 appearances this season. Holiday is shooting an NBA-best 60-plus-percent on corner 3-pointers while leading Eastern Conference point guards with 5.4 rebounds. Giving the Celtics the defensive anchor it lost in Marcus Smart with an upgraded offensive arsenal could keep Holiday with Boston for the coming years amid its championship window.

That's the direction in which Holiday and the Celtics appear to be heading, according to ESPN's NBA Insider Brian Windhorst.

"He is eligible (for an extension) on April 1," Windhorst said on "Brian Windhorst and the Hoops Collective" podcast. "He's already eligible now but he -- this sounds funky, he gets more eligible (on) April 1. There's fewer limits on what he can sign April 1. And I do think that there's interest on both sides to get something done sooner rather than later."

Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens was all smiles when sitting alongside Holiday and team governor Wyc Grousbeck when the organization officially introduced the 15-year veteran last October. Stevens noted Holiday was a target on Boston's radar for multiple years, and the defensive intensity that Stevens envisioned being inserted into the Celtics roster has come to life.

There were minor concerns in the early stages of Holiday's move to Boston with scoring production at a modest pace, but that's since fizzled away. Holiday is averaging 12.8 points on 48.5% shooting, all while attempting just 10 field goals a game -- Holiday's fewest total since his 2009-10 rookie season. But looking at the numbers at face value undersells Holiday's impact on stabilizing Boston's offensive momentum while keeping opposing teams on their toes alongside Derrick White in guarding the perimeter.

When Ime Udoka was head coach of the Celtics for the 2021-22 season, the team trended in the right direction defensively, which produced an NBA Finals appearance -- without Holiday. Now, with a more polished and experienced star tandem in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown plus an abundantly clear motive -- Banner 18 -- in mind based on the team's collective playstyle, having Holiday along the ride should pay dividends quickly once the playoffs commence.

The Celtics have a handful of contract situations to address aside from Holiday's, including White, who has one year remaining, and Tatum, who has an upcoming player option before reaching free agency in 2026.