Regardless of the time of year, player, or realistic possibility, rumors suggest the Los Angeles Lakers remain linked to names across the NBA landscape to pair alongside their core of Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves, Walker Kessler, and the rest of the roster to build a true title contender.
While the Lakers have already had a busy offseason, trade, free agency, and buyout market rumors remain. With that, one name was potentially on the list of heading to Los Angeles this summer, but according to a new report, he’s now off the table.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, reports of the Portland Trail Blazers buying out the contract of Jrue Holiday are untrue, now leaving the Lakers without a true replacement, or even an upgrade, to the departing Marcus Smart, who played a big role on the 2025-26 iteration of the team.
Lakers Jrue Holiday Buyout Rumors Are Now Ended
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – NOVEMBER 03: Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers looks on against the Los Angeles Lakers at Moda Center on November 03, 2025 in Portland, Oregon. A Lakers Jrue Holiday buyout potentially could have happened, but not after the latest report.
Holiday is a current member of the Trail Blazers after winning a championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021 and the Boston Celtics in 2024. Though not at his peak, Holiday remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA and could have been a much-needed veteran presence for the Lakers if the reports were true that Portland was considering a buyout.
However, according to Stein, any hopes of a Lakers Jrue Holiday buyout addition are untrue, and he is set to play out the year on the Trail Blazers as just one of their many guards.
“Recent speculation about a Jrue Holiday buyout from the Trail Blazers is erroneous,” the insider wrote in his latest Stein Line Substack on NBA news and intel. “League sources say Portland is not about to just usher Holiday onto the open market. The Blazers have been messaging for some time that they would like to keep Holiday.”
Though there may not have been reported links between a Holiday arrival with the Lakers, the idea of adding the defensive specialist in the backcourt as an upgrade to Smart, who is now with the Houston Rockets, is difficult not to at least entertain.
With that, Svyatoslav Rovenchuk, writing for LakeShowLife.com, discussed the now unfeasible reality of what Holiday joining the Lakers would look like.
“Jrue Holiday is the kind of veteran that would fit around Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves perfectly. While it is not an exact one-to-one by any means, imagine Marcus Smart on the defensive end but far more polished, cool, and controlled on offense. Holiday is a stud,” he wrote.
“Jrue is the type of player that can capably slot in for any team. At 36 years old, the Blazers guard continues to remain incredibly competent, despite his advanced NBA years… Jrue is good enough for teams to come calling and surrender assets. The Lakers’ chances are slim, at best, here.”
Regardless, it looks as though the Trail Blazers buying out Holiday and all but gifting him to a team like the Lakers, despite the potential intrigue of him playing in Los Angeles or on another contender, is a very unrealistic scenario.
Is The 2x NBA Champ A Viable Lakers Trade Target?
GettyPORTLAND, OREGON – MARCH 13: Jrue Holiday #5 of the Portland Trail Blazers talks to the media after the game against the Utah Jazz at Moda Center on March 13, 2026 in Portland, Oregon. A Lakers Jrue Holiday buyout potentially could have happened, but not after the latest report.
While Holiday now won’t be a buyout market candidate for the Lakers, the idea remains of the team moving assets to add the two-time champion in the final year of his contract before a $37 million player option next season.
But as Rovenchuk wrote, a Lakers trade for Holiday wouldn’t come easy.
“For the Lakers, getting up to Holiday’s $34.8 million cap hit in 2026-27 would require a package like Jarred Vanderbilt ($12.4 million), Jaden Hardy ($6 million), Jake LaRavia ($6 million), and Dalton Knecht ($4.2 million) to make the money work. There are several reasons that does not get the job done,” he wrote.
“For one, the Blazers could not just outright take back all of those players. This would need to be a multi-team deal. Likewise, one would imagine that Portland could find better value than this for Holiday on the trade market, even if the Lakers are adding draft capital to sweeten the pot.”
Instead, Lakers rumors suggest they will pursue all roads in an attempt to land one of their other top trade targets, a list highlighted by Jonathan Kuminga, Trey Murphy III, and the fleeting hopes of restricted agent Peyton Watson.
While Holiday would be a solid addition, Los Angeles is expected to prioritize wing shooting and defense to round out their offseason moves. The Trail Blazers guard would significantly help them on the defensive end of the floor playing alongside Doncic and Reaves, but the expected trade market, remaining contract, and lack of shooting likely mean the path to him is over.
Whether it’s a trade or a free agency addition, it remains to be seen in Lakers rumors if they will make any other moves before the 2026-27 NBA season begins.
Lakers Lose Out On $134M, 2x NBA Champ As Buyout Rumors End