The Celtics have agreed to sign Jrue Holiday to a 4-year, $135 million contract extension Tuesday night, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
While the team didn't disclose financial terms of Holiday's deal, that will take him through the 2027-28 season, it was reported that the veteran point guard declined his $37.3 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign in order to sign the long-term contract.
With this extension -- which also includes a player option for year four, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe -- it will save the Celtics several million dollars towards their cap next year and helps keep together the core of Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick White and now Holiday -- that led a roster to the NBA's best record this season.
Holiday's extension also guarantees the Celtics will be a second apron team in 2024-25, restricting them from signing any pending free agents and or making any major trades for exceeding the highest payroll threshold.
At 33, Holiday becomes the fourth player to ink a guaranteed deal upwards of over $100 million with the others including Stephen Curry, Al Horford and LeBron James -- who were also 33 years of age or older.
"It was an ongoing conversation," Holiday said Thursday during his post-practice comments. "I thought [the deal] was pretty easy. Mutually, we came to an agreement and felt like this was best not only for me, but for the team. I just hope it works. I want to be here. I want to win multiple rings."
It wasn't that long ago when Holiday signed a similar $135 million contract extension months after landing in Milwaukee in a trade orchestrated by the New Orleans Pelicans back in 2021, only to capture his first championship and an Olympic gold medal in the months that followed.
Holiday arrived in Boston a day before training camp via the Portland Trail Blazers after being traded for Damian Lillard 72-hours prior. The blockbuster move cost the C's fan favorite Robert Williams III and reigning Sixth Man of the Year in Malcolm Brogdon for one of arguably one the best two-way point guards in the league.
In Holiday's first season with the Celtics so far, he's averaging 12.5 points on 48.1% shooting from the field, including a career-best 43.1% from deep to go along with 5.4 rebounds (career-high) and 4.9 assists per contest -- while providing much needed leadership on both ends of the floor.
"Since I got here and the situation how I got here, it's only been love," Holiday told reporters today. "So the city of Boston, not only them, but the organization made it super easy for us to navigate and get through a time that was a bit stressful."
The Celtics have also filled their last open roster spot by converting Two-Way center Neemias Queta to a standard NBA contract earlier this week ahead of what they hope to be a deep playoff run to that elusive 18th franchise championship banner.
Stay tuned.
Joel Pavón
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