After Friday night’s 114-97 loss to the Sacramento Kings, this potential Boston Celtics trade may not be too much of an overreaction.
Jayson Tatum, tying his season-low of 15 points, shot 5-13 from the field with 12 rebounds in the loss.
Jaylen Brown was one of a few bright spots with 28 points and 5 assists on 9-19 shooting.
Jrue Holiday, who is in the midst of a somewhat down year, had a plus/minus of -18 in addition to his five points and five assists in 28 minutes of play.
Holiday, a six-time All NBA defender and two-time All Star, is averaging 12 points per game, 4.2 rebounds per game, and even averaging one steal per contest.
His shooting percentage from the field is the lowest it has been since the 2016-17 season at 45%, and his three-point shooting is the lowest it has been since the 2019-20 season at 35%.
That is not at all to say that the loss to the Kings can placed on Holiday, but after using the Spotrac trade machine, here is what a deal could look like to bring in a potentially better fit via the Toronto Raptors.
Celtics receive: Bruce Brown and Garrett Temple
Raptors receive: Jrue Holiday and a 2025 second-round draft pick
Simply put, the Celtics get younger and the rebuilding Raptors get a future Hall of Famer in the locker room and a draft pick.
Bruce Brown is the focal point of this trade. He was a crucial piece on the 2022-23 Denver Nuggets during their championship run and would look to fill a similar role in Boston.
The 26-year-old Brown averaged 10.8 points per game last season on 48 percent shooting for the Indiana Pacers and Toronto Raptors. The year prior, he had a playoffs scoring average of 12 points per game on 51% shooting on the way to Denver’s first championship.
His playoff performance would prove to be essential for Boston as they are already looking towards the end of the regular season.
Garrett Temple is also someone that should not be overlooked for the Celtics.
Temple is a 14-year NBA veteran and if Boston should keep him, he would be a valuable locker-room presence. The journeyman has been on 12 different franchises and can keep the young roster focused come playoff time.
Holiday would make an instant impact for a struggling Raptors team, especially with their own guard averaging over one steal per game, rising star Scottie Barnes.
