The Milwaukee Bucks’ odds to win next season’s NBA championship blew past the Boston Celtics last week after they acquired Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers, sending Jrue Holiday out as part of the deal.

With the addition of Lillard, Milwaukee became the overall title favorites, even over the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.

Now, Boston is fighting back. The Celtics are trading for Holiday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday, sending Robert Williams, Malcolm Brogdon and a couple draft picks to Portland in exchange for the All-Star point guard. With that, the Celtics have moved from +500 odds to win the title to +400 and a close second-place to Milwaukee’s +375 at BetMGM.

It’s a risky move for Boston, which just got a lot thinner in the front-court without Williams. The trade leaves them with an injury-prone Kristaps Porzingis and an aging Al Horford as their front-line big men.

However, after trading Marcus Smart to Memphis earlier in the offseason, they had a need at point guard and Holiday is a massive upgrade for them. Not only does he replace the defense they lost with Smart, he also gives them a legitimate third or fourth scoring option. He’ll also have a massive chip on his shoulder if and when they meet Milwaukee in the playoffs.

Jrue Holiday is being traded to the Celtics, per @wojespn pic.twitter.com/afGZEO9mPX

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) October 1, 2023

Milwaukee’s pieces still seem to be a better fit, so the Bucks — along with the Nuggets — remain the team to beat. But it’s no doubt Boston took a step in the right direction.