Sixers miss out on Jrue Holiday as veteran guard is traded to rival Celtics

A Sixers-Jrue Holiday reunion was not meant to be as the veteran guard will be traded to the rival Celtics.

The two-time All-Star is headed to Boston in exchange for big man Robert Williams III, point guard Malcolm Brogdon and a pair of first-round picks (Golden State’s in 2024, Celtics’ unprotected pick in 2029). ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to break the news.

There were multiple reports citing the Sixers’ genuine interest in bringing back the player the organization selected 17th overall out of UCLA back in 2009. The 33-year-old was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the blockbuster that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks.

In clear rebuilding mode, the Trail Blazers’ goal was to find a deal for Holiday quickly. They did so by sending him to Boston and landing a promising young big in Williams and a pair of firsts. We’ll see what winds up happening with Brogdon as the Trail Blazers’ guard rotation is pretty much set.

For the Sixers, Holiday would’ve represented an ideal replacement for James Harden as the 10-time All-Star has been attempting to force his way out of Philadelphia all summer. Now, it appears the team and player are still stuck together for now — while the two best teams in the East got better.

Media day on Monday should be fun!