The Boston Celtics finished off a busy summer by announcing on Sunday that they had signed All-Star guard Jrue Holiday.
The former Bucks guard, who helped the team win the NBA title in 2021, was sent to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the same three-team deal that sent Damian Lillard to Milwaukee.
Before the Celtics play their first game of the 2023–24 season on Oct. 25 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN against the New York Knicks, here’s a look at the team’s projected starting lineup and roster.
Projected starting five:
- Jrue Holiday
- Jaylen Brown
- Jayson Tatum
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Al Horford
Key reserves
- Derrick White
- Payton Pritchard
- Luke Kornet
- Oshae Brissett
- Sam Hauser
Full roster
Here are the Celtics’ players after they traded for Holiday and before training camp.
Guards:
- Jaylen Brown
- JD Davison
- Svi Mykhailiuk
- Payton Pritchard
- Jay Scrubb
- DJ Steward
- Jordan Walsh
- Derrick White
Forwards:
- Dalano Banton
- Oshae Brissett
- Sam Hauser
- Kristaps Porzingis
- Lamar Stevens
- Jayson Tatum
Centers:
- Al Horford
- Luke Kornet
- Neemias Queta
Marcus Smart had been Boston’s starting point guard for the past few years, but he was traded to Memphis in the summer as part of a three-team deal involving Washington and bringing Kristaps Porzingis to the Celtics. Holiday now takes Smart’s place as the team’s starting point guard.
Smart fights hard for his side. The same goes for Holiday. He has been named to the All-Defensive team five times and was on the first team last season. For the last three years, he has been a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year.
Holiday, who is 33 years old, was an All-Star for the first time in 10 years last year. He just finished a season in which he scored 19.3 points and 7.4 assists, which are higher than his career averages of 16.4 points and 6.5 assists.
