As the season comes to a close, awards start to show themselves. We already saw Stephen Curry win it for the best teammate, Jalen Brunson getting recognized for being the clutchmeister he is, and Dyson Daniels for his all-round improvement this season. And now, Celtics’ Jrue Holiday can be added to that list. The veteran has been given the Joe Dumars Trophy for winning the 2024-25 NBA Sportsmanship Award.

But what does it take to win the award? “The NBA Sportsmanship Award honors a player who best represents the ideals of sportsmanship on the court,” said the NBA’s official PR handle on X. It’s the teams that nominate one player each, after which a panel of league executives selects six finalists. Each of those finalists, one from each division, is voted on by current NBA players. Anyone getting a deja vu?

Jrue won the same award back in 2021, when he was balling for the Bucks. This makes him just the fifth player in league history to receive it multiple times. He beat Kyrie Irving, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jarrett Allen, Franz Wagner, and Dorian Finney-Smith to the lauds. This speaks volumes of the respect the NBA has for his 16-year journey in the Association. Even his wife, Lauren Holiday, took to her Instagram story to give respects and her congratulations to her deserving husband.

But that’s not all. It’s mentioned that each team nominates a player for the award. For Celtics, the person behind that decision is their GM, Brad Stevens. And he had a lot to say regarding Jrue Holiday winning it.

“In my experience, some of the best competitors are those who pair a quiet confidence with humility, show respect for the competition with their own preparation and work, and have the stamina to navigate the ups and downs of a season with grit and perspective. There is no better example of this than Jrue. He is the ultimate teammate and sets a great example for those striving to compete with integrity. His game does his talking, and his impact, on and off the court, goes well beyond his game,” said Stevens.

But this is odd, considering the trade rumors floating around his name. Jrue has seen his playing time decrease over the years, and his role on the team along with it. His numbers have become a little underwhelming (11.1/4.3/3.9 season averages), and the Celtics need to look ahead. The sportsmanship award alone isn’t enough to guarantee a spot on the roster. The Celtics are projected to pay around $500 million for their payroll next season, with $230 million coming from player salaries and the remaining $270 million from tax penalties. So, where does Jrue look to be going?

Jrue Holiday trade rumors surface despite Sportsmanship Award

Over the past month, multiple outlets and mock-trade generators have floated the possibility that the Celtics could move Jrue Holiday this summer to alleviate salary-cap pressure and reshape their backcourt. To be honest, it’s been a long time coming. The Celtics have one of the highest payrolls in the league, with their new owners coming under scrutiny for taking over during troubling times. So to counter this, players like Holiday are rumored to be put on the market.

His 4-year, $135 million extension occupies a large chunk of payroll, constraining mid-season upgrades. That’s a lotta money for someone in his twilight years. So, in order to fully capitalize on their Jayson Tatum-Jaylen Brown era, the Celtics could look to put Holiday on his way out. But despite all the rumors, there’s no confirmed place for Jrue as of yet. So let’s look at the most probable one, which seems to be to Lob City.

Sports Illustrated reported a trade proposal that would see Holiday go to the Clippers, and would involve the Jazz as well. In this hypothetical scenario, the Clips would receive Jrue Holiday and John Collins, Utah would receive P.J. Tucker, Derrick Jones Jr., Terance Mann, and a bunch of future round picks and swaps, and LA would receive Walker Kessler and Norman Powell. Not bad right? This way, the Clippers can maximize their dynamic duo James Harden-Kawhi Leonard’s remaining prime years by combining them with a player who has done the same job already.

As for the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis’ lack of consistent appearances has allegedly put him on the chopping block too. So, Beantown will be looking for a star center to establish their new look core. Taking Holiday out of the team would provide them with more financial flexibility. It seems hard for this to take place, but this is the ideal scenario if you’re a Green.

It’s fair to say that Jrue Holiday has enough of a legacy in the NBA to retire immediately. He’s pretty much completed the sport. But his desire to continue and put his team first has been recognised with the 2024-25 NBA Sportsmanship Award. If Jrue is on his way out, where do you think he’ll end up?