It sure seems like the New Orleans Pelicans are going to deal Jrue Holiday soon, with seemingly half of the teams in the league interested in one of the better two-way guards in basketball. That includes the Denver Nuggets, who are looking to build upon their run to the Western Conference Finals in the bubble and find another star to pair with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray.
“Jrue Holiday continues to generate significant league-wide interest, with several teams attempting to get into the top-ten to acquire a pick needed to deal for Holiday,” Mannix tweeted. “Several team execs say the Nuggets, armed with young talent to trade, are a strong threat.”
Holiday could be the perfect fit in Denver — a universally respected veteran and unselfish, All-Star-caliber player. Holiday is one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, which could be a big help to Murray, who is not.
As Mannix points out, Denver president of basketball operations Tim Connelly has plenty of assets to work with when constructing deals, including Jerami Grant, Bol Bol, and Michael Porter Jr. (who may be untouchable). The Nuggets went after Holiday last season but ultimately didn't come to terms on a trade.
The Portland Trail Blazers, Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors and Chicago Bulls are among the many teams who have been speculated to be interested in trading for the veteran guard.
Holiday averaged 19.1 points (35.5 percent from 3-point range), 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the Pelicans in 2019-20. The 30-year old is due to make about $26 million in 2020-21, followed by a $27 million player option for 2021-22.
New Orleans is looking ahead to a big payday for Brandon Ingram this offseason, and the organization seems determined to deal Holiday for maximum value now.
Follow Us
Subscribe