The Boston Celtics are expected to face a decision that will affect their roster shortly. According to NBA insider Jake Fischer, the Celtics could reach a point where they have to trade one of the players in their starting lineup. Fischer said via The Stein Line that it could be between Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis.
On Tuesday’s episode of FanDuel TV’s “Run It Back,” former NBA player Lou Williams was asked who he thinks the Celtics should trade down the line. Williams didn’t hesitate and named the Latvian big man as the player the defending champions should let go if they had to choose between him and Holiday.
“Probably [Kristaps] Porzingis,” Williams said. “With Jrue Holiday and what he brings to the defensive side of the basketball for this team, that’s a tangible thing.
The former three-time Sixth Man of the Year winner explained how Holiday is the more valuable player over the 7-foot-2 big man despite being older.
“Holiday is going to be one of those guys that you gotta have in your lineup. Porzingis, with his injury history, with him being in and out of the lineup, that team just kept rolling. They just kept playing great basketball without him.
The Celtics are entering dangerous territory with the luxury tax and second apron penalties, and with a new ownership group on the way, reports are saying that the team will have to break up its championship core.
Who would you rather give up in this situation?… pic.twitter.com/jNP7yi1AJo
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 2, 2025
“I think he’s an added piece but he’s not necessarily a piece that they can’t move on without.”
Chandler Parsons, his co-host and another former NBA player, concurred with Williams’ assertions. One of the Celtics’ main worries this season, according to Parsons, has been Porzingis’ injuries. He also commended Holiday for being a defensive end who is a generational talent.
The former Memphis Grizzlies forward also said that the two-time All-Star impacts winning without needing to score the ball, which is something Boston needs.
Lou Williams says the Boston Celtics’ supporting cast makes them a better team this season
One of the most likely teams to win the title this year is the Boston Celtics. Many observers think the club has what it takes to win two titles in a row because they didn’t lost any key players in their lineup.
Additionally, the supporting cast around their stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have shown massive improvement. Lou Williams mentioned Payton Pritchard and Derrick White as the players who make the Celtics an elite team.
“We’ve been talking about the supporting cast more than those guys,” Williams said. “We talked about Payton Pritchard and Derrick White making history. That’s what makes them a better team. When you can add like that to what they’re already doing, that makes them successful, that makes them a good group.”
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are not why the Celtics are a better team this season:
"We talk about the supporting cast more than those guys. We talked about Payton Pritchard and Derrick White. That's what makes them a better team." – @TeamLou23 pic.twitter.com/vYlX19dAlQ
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) April 1, 2025
White is one of the Celtics’ top contributors in their starting lineup and Pritchard is a candidate to win the Sixth Man of the Year award.
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Reign also writes NBA and WNBA news updates on Sportskeeda. He started as a feature writer for AirAlamo, an NBA website that covers the San Antonio Spurs. Some of his work can also be seen on Valley of the Suns, a Phoenix Suns-centric website, where he served as a contributing writer.
