Milwaukee's Mistake: Jrue Holiday Leads Celtics to 2024 NBA Title

by Owen Ayite Atayi, age 16

It looks like Trading Jrue Holiday was a huge mistake for the Milwaukee Bucks. During the 2023-24 season, the move certainly disrupted the team’s previous defensive prowess and team chemistry. This lack of defense jeopardized the Bucks’ chances of another championship. Ultimately, when Giannis Antetokounmpo got injured, the team’s defense didn’t hold up.

Regardless of the trade, Jrue Holiday remained an excellent player. In fact, after being traded to the Boston Celtics, he was again a key contributor. Not only has he been a steady player, but he guided his new team to the 2024 NBA championship.

One person who has questioned the trade is Philadelphia 76ers Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid. He recently tweeted on social media, “Did the Bucks give them the championship?” Embiid was implying “them” as the Boston Celtics. He tweeted this late Wednesday as the Celtics had gone up 3-0 in the series.

Draymond Green, a four-time NBA champion of the Golden State Warriors also questioned the trade. He answered Embiid's question saying, “Yes. Even in that trade, you’ve got to do all you can to keep Jrue. Jrue can play off the ball or on the ball, there’s no mismatch with Jrue and Dame. I think there are other things Milwaukee could have done to keep Jrue.”

Some reporters and others close to the team have said the Bucks would not have been able to keep both Holiday and Damian Lillard, who Milwaukee acquired in the 3-way trade.

While Draymond Green might feel there was a way, it just wasn’t the case. Modern NBA salary caps make these kinds of trades complicated. Some experts have said that if the Bucks wanted both Lillard and Holiday, they would have had to trade their franchise player, Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Holiday had a list of five to six teams that he wanted to be traded to including the Portland Trail Blazers, the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks and his two favorites, the Boston Celtics and the Los Angeles Clippers. In September 2023, Holiday told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that he wanted to finish off his career with the Bucks.

Before he was traded to the Celtics, he was putting up more shots. But he shot just 30 percent from three-point range in 40 playoff games. He finished his previous season with the Bucks averaging 17.9 points per game, 5.8 rebounds, and 7.9 assists.

The Boston Celtics gave Holiday a different role than his previous position with the Bucks. Holiday’s new focus in Boston was to concentrate on defense while creating offense and being explosive. He took fewer shots this season, with fewer assists and steals. During his 2023-24 season with Boston, Holiday averaged 12.5 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists. And Boston won an NBA championship.

Jrue Holiday is a highly skilled and versatile NBA player known for his exceptional defensive abilities and playmaking skills. He has consistently demonstrated leadership, both on and off the court. Only time will tell who got the better of this trade.

[Sources: Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel; USA Today]