NBA Rumors: Two Eastern Division Contenders Expected To Express Strong Interest In Acquiring Jrue Holiday
Despite losing Anthony Davis last summer, the New Orleans Pelicans have been telling everyone in the league that they have no intention of trading veteran point guard Jrue Holiday. Though he clearly no longer fits in their timeline, the Pelicans believe that Holiday would play a vital role in the development of their young players and in bringing the team back to title contention. However, as of now, rumors still continue to swirl around Holiday and his future in New Orleans.
The Pelicans may still consider Holiday part of their long-term plan, but according to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, they could explore the possibility of trading him if he won’t agree to sign a contract extension this summer. Though the 2019-20 NBA season is still in limbo, Pincus revealed that several teams have already expressed a strong interest in acquiring Holiday from the Pelicans, including two powerhouse teams from the Eastern Conference — the Brooklyn Nets and the Milwaukee Bucks.
“The New Orleans Pelicans are believed to be exploring all options for guard Jrue Holiday, including a long-term extension or a trade. Several contenders are interested, including the Brooklyn Nets and Bucks, if extension talks fall apart. Holiday, who is under contract for next season at $26.2 million, has a player option for 2021-22 at $27.1 million. The Pelicans will need to pay Brandon Ingram this summer and can give extensions to both Lonzo Ball and Josh Hart. Holiday may eventually fall out of their price range, but he’s an important part of why the team is competitive.”
It’s definitely not a surprise that the Nets are interested in acquiring Holiday. Since the successful acquisition of Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in 2019, the Nets have revealed their plan to add a third superstar to their roster. Holiday may be playing the same position as Irving, but he has no problem sliding to the shooting guard position. With his ability to excel in an off-ball capacity, Holiday would be an ideal fit alongside ball-dominant superstars like Irving and Durant.
Meanwhile, despite having Eric Bledsoe on their roster, the Bucks continue to be linked to rumors involving point guards. Bledsoe may have been establishing an impressive performance in the regular season, but his inconsistencies in the postseason proved to be a big problem for the Bucks. Holiday would undeniably be a major upgrade over Bledsoe at the Bucks’ starting point guard position. With the years he spent with an All-Star big man like Davis in New Orleans, Holiday would likely have an easy time building chemistry with Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
