The New Orleans Pelicans are in the process of finding a trade for Jrue Holiday. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the team is in the midst of discussing deals for the veteran guard with a collection of teams, and unsurprisingly, there are a handful of contenders interested in acquiring his services.
The New Orleans Pelicans are openly discussing star Jrue Holiday in trade talks and several contending teams are pursuing, sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) November 4, 2020
Holiday’s name has been brought up in trade talks in New Orleans for some time, as the 30-year-old guard’s skill set on both ends of the floor is coveted by teams that need some help in the backcourt. While he does help the Pelicans, too, Holiday is a bit older than the members of their core, and playing him would mean taking the ball out of the hands of Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson. Plus, depending on what he could command on the trade market — particularly if a bidding war ensues between teams desperate for a guard — New Orleans could potentially get a ton back.
This season, Holiday is set to make approximately $25.4 million and has a player option for a little more than $26.2 million during the 2021-22 campaign. A two-time All-Defense selection, Holiday averaged 19.1 points, 6.7 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.6 steals in 34.7 minutes per game for the Pelicans last season.