Veteran guard Jrue Holiday will be on the trade block for the Portland Trail Blazers after they traded for fellow point guard Ja Morant. Portland has been active in the trade market looking to cash in on some of their young assets and picks for a big upgrade. The Memphis Grizzlies made Morant cheap enough for the Trail Blazers to take a risk on adding Morant to team with Damian Lillard in the backcourt. However, this puts Holiday in a unique position on a roster full of guards.
Clutch Points NBA insider Brett Siegel revealed that Holiday is likely going to be traded this summer:
“Plenty of teams are expected to express interest in Holiday in the wake of Morant being traded to the Blazers, and he has been said to be available in trade talks for Portland dating back to when they were eliminated from the postseason.
The 36-year-old guard is still a key contributor, especially on defense, and he was instrumental to the championship runs of two different teams in recent years: Bucks (2021) and Celtics (2024).”
Portland will likely get a lot of offers from teams hoping to add a winning player still capable of contributing both offensively and defensively. The trade package will likely require them to look for someone at the forward or center position to improve their depth.
Portland Could Still Add A Major Star
The desired offseason for Portland was to use their expendable trade assets and future draft picks to add a superstar. Jaylen Brown has been rumored since the Boston Celtics intend to trade him for the right package this summer.
However, some reports have claimed that Portland viewed Morant as their big fish and will not go “all in” on Brown. The trade could still make sense since Boston would love Holiday, a young asset, and draft picks as a solid all-around trade package.
Regardless, the Trail Blazers have two future Milwaukee Bucks draft picks that will has increased in value after they traded Giannis Antetokounmpo. Portland has those picks and a core of young talents like Shaedon Sharpe, Scoot Henderson, and Yang Hansen capable of adding another superstar.
Teams That Would Love Jrue Holiday
The main reason for Holiday hitting the trade market becoming major news is his ability to contribute to winning. Both Bucks and Celtics rosters of the 2020s didn’t win the NBA Championship until they added Holiday as the missing piece.
Boston would clearly love to bring Holiday back in a big trade losing Brown’s salary to favor more depth and versatility. Other contenders like the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets could make a lot of sense since both teams are looking for creative ways to upgrade their respective rosters.
Many unknown teams would also love Holiday to raise their floors since he is good enough to help bad teams become good or take good teams to the next level as contenders. Portland wants to contend next season and will likely prioritize trade packages with talent that can help them now.
Blazers Put Jrue Holiday On Trade Block After Getting Ja Morant