Just Now: Miami Heat Made Interest to Trade Jrue Holiday after an unfinished hijack.....

The sweepstakes to acquire Jrue Holiday is underway. However, at least two teams appear to be bowing out of contention.

According to The Athletic’s Sam Amick , the Sacramento Kings will not entertain adding the two-time All-Star to their roster. As for the reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat, their failed pursuit of Damian Lillard has not led the team to re-route their interest toward Holiday.

By most accounts, trade talks between the Heat and the Portland Trail Blazers surrounding Lillard were strenuous and tedious.

“Deplorable behavior” by Blazers general manager Joe Cronin makes the idea of Miami re-engaging Portland to discuss Holiday “unappealing if not unrealistic,” per Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald.

While the former NBA champion guard appears unlikely to land in South Beach, buzz is building for him to potentially find his way to Miami’s rival, the Boston Celtics.

Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe reported on Saturday that the Celtics pursuit of Holiday remains “alive,” although with a “significant gap” in negotiations with Portland. The holdup in trade discussions likely stems from Boston’s disinterest in gutting their frontcourt.

While including 2023 Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon in a deal for Holiday seems like a foregone conclusion, the Celtics would likely need to add either veteran big man Al Horford or center Robert Williams III to their package as well.

Boston’s best bet for keeping their core together while still making a run at Holiday would be to seek out a third team to tack onto the deal and, in return, sweeten the pot for Portland.