After trading seven-time All-Star Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, the Portland Trail Blazers have been left with veteran guard Jrue Holiday, whom they obtained in the deal.
Holiday doesn’t fit the timeline of the young Blazers, and therefore most believe they will trade him, if not soon then eventually.
Many teams are rumored to be interested in acquiring him, and he is an attractive player who could singlehandedly take a team to the next level.
Via ClutchPoints, Ramona Shelburne says the one key thing in any potential Holiday trade is that any team looking to get him would have to give him a contract extension and that Holiday would have to want to sign such an extension with that team.
"Half the league wants Jrue Holiday… I think the list is probably going to down to about 4 or 5 teams when all is said and done in terms of teams that are interested in him… but also that he would re-sign with long-term."
– @ramonashelburnepic.twitter.com/LL6wzEoWuK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 29, 2023
Holiday has two years left on his current contract, the second of which is a player option, at over $36 million a year, and it remains to be seen how many assets other squads will be willing to give up for someone who is 33 years of age.
He can not only score and hit from 3-point range, but the point guard is also a very capable ball-handler and facilitator, and perhaps his most attractive quality is his defense, which is considered elite.
Holiday averaged 19.3 points and 7.4 assists a game last season, and he has been named to one of the NBA’s All-Defensive teams five times.
Even better, he played on Milwaukee’s 2021 championship team, and that experience should be invaluable to whichever team Holiday settles on.
A package that includes one of two future draft picks would be attractive to a Portland team that is starting over and already has several good young players.
NEXT: Blazers Legend Shares His Thoughts On Damian Lillard Trade
