NBA Trade Rumors: Jrue Holiday To Chicago Bulls For Package Centered On Kris Dunn, ‘Fansided’ Suggests
The New Orleans Pelicans may have made some changes in their front office, but it is not expected to change the fate of All-Star center Anthony Davis in the 2019 NBA offseason. If they decide to undergo a full-scale rebuild in the post-Davis era, there is a strong chance that veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, who is owed $77 million over the next three years, could also on his way out of New Orleans next summer.
The 2018-19 NBA season is still far from over, but some NBA teams have already expressed interest in adding Jrue Holiday to their roster. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News, one of the NBA teams who is keeping an eye on Holiday is the Chicago Bulls. In a proposed trade deal, Aaron Petersen of Fansided‘s Pippen Ain’t Easy suggested that the Bulls could offer a package including Kris Dunn, Cristiano Felicio, Denzel Valentine, a 2019 first-round pick, and a 2020 second-round pick to the Pelicans in exchange for Holiday and their own 2019 first-round pick.
“Moving up in the draft would be nice, but the Pelicans would have to forfeit their 2019 first round pick in order to do so. Kris Dunn is certainly talented enough to be a starting point guard in this league but has yet to find his groove at the professional level. Denzel Valentine is a very talented player young player and fits the modern NBA mold thanks to his shooting and passing abilities as a combo guard. In addition, the Chicago Bulls 2020 second round pick would likely be a decent one. Meanwhile, Cristiano Felicio is thrown in to balance out the salaries.”
David Griffin discusses relationship with Danny Ainge, keeping AD https://t.co/K6oINC6hOF
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) April 24, 2019
The Pelicans shouldn’t mind losing their own 2019 first-round pick in the deal since they will also be receiving one in return. With the Bulls finishing the 2018-19 NBA season with the fourth worst record in the league, they have a strong chance of acquiring a top-3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. The deal will also give the Pelicans an immediate replacement for Jrue Holiday as their starting point guard — Kris Dunn, the No. 5 overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, Dunn’s first three years in the NBA have been filled with inconsistencies. This season, the 25-year-old point guard averaged 11.3 points, 6.0 assists, 4.1 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on 42.5 percent shooting from the field and 35.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc. If the Pelicans aren’t sold on Dunn as their point guard of the future, they could use the Bulls’ pick to select Ja Morant, a top prospect in the 2019 NBA Draft who has been frequently compared to Russell Westbrook.
Meanwhile, the arrival of Jrue Holiday will undeniably make the Bulls a more competitive team in the 2019-20 NBA season. The tandem of Holiday and Zach LaVine has a strong chance of becoming one of the most explosive backcourt duos in the league. However, if they are really serious about fully dominating the Eastern Conference, the Bulls should consider adding more experienced superstars to their roster in the 2019 NBA offseason.
