Starting in early April, the Boston Celtics can ink Jrue Holiday to an extension, preventing the only member of their top six who can reach free agency this summer from doing so, as was their intention when they acquired him.

The two-time All-Star tacking more years onto his deal just before a playoff run is a familiar route to him. He signed a four-year, $135 million extension, plus bonuses that could elevate its value to $160 million, with the Milwaukee Bucks in April of 2021. That postseason, he helped the franchise capture its second championship.

And while Holiday has a $39.4 million player option for the 2024-25 campaign, he told Brian Robb of MassLive he’d prefer to reach an extension before the season ends.

“I’d like to be here,” conveyed the California native. “I feel like I’m getting more and more comfortable. Loving the guys, loving the organization, and loving the city.”

Boston’s one of five teams over the second apron this season, and its best path forward is the most costly. Jayson Tatum’s in line for a supermax extension this summer that will join Jaylen Brown’s on the books after the 2024-25 campaign. Derrick White’s also due a new deal at that time.

From an on-court perspective, the alternatives to extending Holiday are far less appealing. However, it will result in well over $100 million in luxury tax penalties on top of a $200+ million payroll.

At Holiday’s introductory press conference, Celtics owner Wyc Grousbeck stated, “I look at the next six years as a real opportunity for us.” So, while the new collective bargaining agreement is more punitive, Boston’s talking and spending like a franchise undeterred, unwilling to compromise Tatum and Brown’s prime.

That’s the route Kristaps Porzingis went when he agreed to a two-year, $60 million extension over the summer. The seven-foot-three center could’ve signed for up to $77 million.

Noting the value of continuity, with most members of the Celtics’ top six taken care of, making it easier to sacrifice to maximize the group’s potential, Holiday expressed, “I think everybody kind of knows we’re set, and we’re set for a long period,” adding, “No matter what happens, you are going to come back here with the same guys for the most part. Things happen, but I think you lock into that, being able to have that comfortability and just kind of that pressure off of you about what’s next.”

The six-foot-four guard is also growing increasingly comfortable with all that’s asked of him at both ends of the floor.

Defensively, his assignments range from getting asked to contain Julius Randle in the low post to wreaking havoc as a free safety who blows up drives before they collapse the defense, let alone get to the basket. He’ll even operate in the middle of the Celtics’ 2-3 zone defense.

As previously detailed, Boston’s offense is at its best when Holiday’s aggressive, an approach the coaching staff continues imploring him to maintain.

While it’s understandable to want more out of Holiday offensively, he’s quarterbacking their defense, helping maintain an up-tempo pace, and drilling threes at a high clip off the catch and off the dribble. He’s also stepping up as a scorer when another starter is out, and it’s needed most.

He’s the individual his teammates have identified as the one sacrificing the most. And while Holiday agrees with that, he’s also made it known, “I’m not mad at my situation. I’m not mad at the sacrifices that I have to make.”

It exemplifies the selfless nature of a group Holiday hopes to remain a part of beyond this season.