A proposed four-team trade pitch would send Paul George to the Portland Trail Blazers while reuniting the Boston Celtics with Jrue Holiday and Robert Williams III. The complex salary-clearing deal relies heavily on a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade involving Detroit and Chicago.
Under a cap-legal trade simulation created on FanSpo, the Boston Celtics send Paul George ($54.1 million) and Sam Hauser ($10.8 million) to the Portland Trail Blazers. In exchange, Boston brings back Jrue Holiday ($34.8 million) and Robert Williams III through a $14 million traded player exception, alongside five future second-round draft picks. The transaction trims approximately $16.1 million from Boston’s salary cap sheet. That financial relief is critical for a team hard-capped at the first luxury tax apron after acquiring George in July, a move where the nine-time All-Star waived a $3.9 million trade bonus.
Bringing back Holiday and Williams III would restore the switch-everything defense and rim protection that fueled Boston’s 2024 championship campaign. Holiday recorded 16.3 points and 6.1 assists per game for Portland last season, while Williams III remains on a three-year, $44 million contract with games-played protections. To balance the finances, the trade relies on a Jalen Duren sign-and-trade. Duren, an All-Star center who averaged 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds on 65% shooting, would move to the Chicago Bulls on a four-year, $160 million deal, while Chicago sends Josh Giddey to the Detroit Pistons.
The proposed transaction also sends Hauser and rookie center Yang Hansen to Detroit to complete the multi-team framework. However, the move stalls completely at the Pistons’ front office. The Pistons “are not interested whatsoever in any sign-and-trade scenarios,” according to recent reports. That unyielding stance effectively cancels the arrangement before negotiations can begin.
Detroit’s firm refusal renders the four-team concept a purely theoretical exercise. While trimming $16.1 million in salary cap commitments remains an appealing objective for Boston, any viable deal will require a simpler two-team trade structure.
