Subscribe
Follow Us
Immediately after the Boston Celtics were booted from the 2025 NBA Playoffs, Derrick White told reporters that he may have just played alongside some of his teammates for the last time. He was right, and the first one to go was two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday.
In late June, the C's dealt Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers, which — ironically — is where the veteran guard was before being traded to Boston in 2023. The two-time All-Star had a winning impact in Beantown, helping the Celtics capture banner No. 18 less than a year after his arrival.
Holiday will now bring his championship experience to Portland, a city that hasn't seen an NBA title in nearly 50 years. Meanwhile, White will have to carry on without his fellow guard as the Celtics enter a season of uncertainty.
When asked about Holiday's time in Boston, White didn't shy away from the fact that the Celts' lost a major contributor, via the “White Noise Podcast.”
“We'll definitely miss him,” White admitted. “You can't really replace a Jrue Holiday.”
White and Holiday formed arguably the greatest defensive backcourt in the league when they shared the floor. Both were NBA All-Defensive Second Teamers in 2024 and made life very difficult for opposing ball handlers.
Jayson Tatum on the valuable connection between Jrue Holiday and Derrick White:
“They got a great chemistry. Just two selfless, high-IQ guys that can just make plays on both ends. And they really make our team go.” pic.twitter.com/IlreNMQXzd
— Daniel Donabedian (@danield1214) April 20, 2025
On the other side of the ball, they also excelled, yet White credits his superior scoring stats to Holiday's willingness to sacrifice and take a backseat on offense at times.
“Jrue allowed me to be me,” White said. “Allowed me to kind of step into my own and do what I do.”
As a result of Holiday's selflessness, White put together the best season of his career during the 2024-25 campaign. He'll likely have to follow up that performance with another impressive year if the Celtics want to seriously contend, as they already lost Holiday, former starting center Kristaps Porzingis, and 7-footer Luke Kornet this offseason. And to top it all off, perennial All-Star Jayson Tatum is out indefinitely with an Achilles injury.
Celtics depth chart for 2025-26:
PG: Derrick White / Payton Pritchard
SG: Anfernee / Baylor Scheierman
SF: Jaylen Brown / Josh Minott
PF: Sam Hauser / Georges Niang
C: Neemias Queta / Luka GarzaWhere does this team finish in the East? pic.twitter.com/H8TTEiDYjE
— The Lead (@TheLeadSM) July 29, 2025
Given the summer roster shakeup, it's fair to say that the Celtics' 2024 championship core is no longer intact. Holiday's defense, 3-point shooting, and steady leadership were pivotal during Boston's dominant run to a ring.
White is grateful for that, and it's no secret that he'll miss working with the future Hall of Famer.
“It was unbelievable to be his teammate,” he said with a smile.
