Before the season started, New Orleans Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin made the bold statement that Jrue Holiday was capable of being an MVP candidate if he wanted to be. Griffin also made it a point to say that the Pelicans were Holiday’s team, as opposed to Zion Williamson or Lonzo Ball.
Now two months into the season, the Pelicans are 6-21 — tied for the second-worst record in the NBA — and Holiday no longer fits the timeline of the Pelicans, who seem to be head for a full-fledged rebuild. It’s for that reason the Pelicans have made Holiday available in trade talks, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times, but the price will be steep:
The decision to make Holiday available was probably made easier by the fact that the Pelicans have a trio of young guards — Lonzo Ball, Frank Jackson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker — on their roster. They could make that trio even more enticing next summer by adding a top point guard prospect like LaMelo Ball or Cole Anthony.
As for Holiday, he’s the type of player that can plug and play just about anywhere in the league, and with how watered down the 2020 NBA free agency class is expected to be, Holiday’s trade value will be higher than it was last season. If the Pelicans do move on from Holiday before the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 6, the return will likely include a first-round pick.
Stay tuned for updates on the teams that will be interested in Holiday.
