Celtics trying to package picks to make Jrue Holiday trade

Danny Ainge is up to his usual shenanigans leading up to the NBA Draft

With the 2020 NBA Draft lacking the usual star power, more teams are trying to move down or completely out of the first round in exchange for proven talent. However, there’s still plenty of value and potential depth pieces to be found for teams close to contention like the New Orleans Pelicans, hence their looming decision to trade star point guard Jrue Holiday.

Holiday is one of the best defensive point guards in the Association, and he’s a capable ball-handler at that. Pair him with a backcourt that already features the likes of Jaylen Brown, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart in Boston, and the Celtics will be nearly impossible to score against at the guard position.

Per usual, the Celtics have a bevy of draft picks to offer up in exchange

Per Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, “The Celtics have offered up their three first-round picks (nos. 14, 26, and 30) in trades to try and move into the lottery, but multiple league sources say they intend to reroute that pick to the Pelicans in exchange for Jrue Holiday. If Boston is able to acquire the necessary assets, it’d still need to add salaries to make a deal work.”

The salary configuration is tight. Boston could possibly get rid of one of their larger contracts, such as Gordon Hayward or Walker. Hayward seems like a more likely option, given there have already been some reports (albeit vague ones) that he wants out of Boston this offseason. Walker still offers more value at this point in his career.

The picks — three in the mid first-round — could all be traded together or as part of an even large package with another team to land the Pelicans a top-10 selection. Either way, the collateral exists to make such a trade happen, sending Holiday to Beantown in the process.