Jrue Holiday is officially a member of the Portland Trail Blazers, but, in the press release, the Blazers announced a trade that looks different than the one that was reported two weeks ago. Anfernee Simons is still going to the Boston Celtics in a guard-for-guard swap, but the Celtics are no longer getting two second-round picks from Portland to sweeten the deal.
The two teams agreed to revise the trade after the Blazers looked at Holiday’s medicals, according to The Oregonian:
According to [a league source], a recent review of Holiday’s medicals revealed nothing substantial enough to warrant the trade being negated. However, there was enough there to lead the Blazers to slightly alter the terms of the deal. Holiday, the source said, is considered to be healthy and will be working out this summer in preparation for the start of training camp near the end of September.
According to the source, a recent review of Holiday’s medicals revealed nothing substantial enough to warrant the trade being negated. However, there was enough there to lead the Blazers to slightly alter the terms of the deal. Holiday, the source said, is considered to be healthy and will be working out this summer in preparation for the start of training camp near the end of September.
On the one hand, this is a small victory for Portland. The Blazers took some criticism for giving up draft capital while turning Simons into a player who is nine years older, but it turns out they have simply turned Simons into a player who is nine years older, without giving up draft capital. That’s objectively better.
On the other hand, Portland will now likely take some criticism for turning Simons into a player who is nine years older and has medical concerns. It is unclear what exactly the Blazers saw that caused them to seek to adjust the terms of the trade, but Holiday dealt with a strained right hamstring during the 2025 playoffs and had an unusual hand injury (“mallet finger” in his right pinky) during the regular season.
Portland’s front office, led by general manager Joe Cronin, is now in a profoundly strange situation. It must assure fans that they shouldn’t be concerned about Holiday’s health, despite the fact that it just reduced the cost of acquiring him on the basis of its concerns about Holiday’s health.
