Jrue Holiday Trade Rumors: Teams Sixers Would Have to Bid Against
The Portland Trail Blazers concluded the Damian Lillard saga, but their work is far from finished. Ahead of training camp, the Blazers now have to work on moving the newly acquired Jrue Holiday.
Following the trade fireworks on Wednesday, the Philadelphia 76ers were mentioned as players in the market for Holiday, who will be re-routed after the three-team deal. Since the Sixers have a disgruntled guard in James Harden, flipping the ten-time All-Star for Holiday would be quite the move for Philadelphia, who lost a few key players in free agency this past summer.
We knew right off the bat that the Sixers would be entering a competitive market for Holiday. Considering he brings value on both sides of the floor, has multiple All-Star appearances on his resume, and won an NBA Championship just a couple of seasons ago, Holiday is a strong target for teams that plan to enter championship contention in 2023-2024.
Less than 24 hours after the trade was made official, several teams were linked to Holiday already. Who might the Sixers be competing against in the Holiday sweepstakes?
The Sixers are among several teams interested in former Bucks guard, Jrue Holiday.
Jrue Holiday’s Rumored Suitors
Miami Heat
Surprise, surprise — the Miami Heat ended up striking out on Damian Lillard and will pivot to one of the guys he was traded for. Despite a disappointing regular season performance that nearly resulted in missing the playoffs, the Heat went on a shocking run to becoming the Eastern Conference Finals Champions before getting stopped by the Denver Nuggets in the NBA Finals.
Miami wanted to take a big swing on a guy like Lillard, but they struggled to win the Blazers over. The good news for the Sixers is that Miami’s failed negotiations with Portland on the Lillard front could prevent them from successfully finding a trade for Holiday as well.
Boston Celtics
The Celtics nearly parted ways with Malcolm Brogdon this offseason and are likely looking to complete that mission after it’s become clear the veteran guard is frustrated with their attempts to move him. Boston already has two stars who won’t be touched in trade talks, and Brogdon can’t be moved alone. The Celtics would have to give up multiple players and potentially draft compensation. The consensus among Boston media right now is that an inquiry won’t hurt, but the price may be too steep for Boston to pay.
New York Knicks
Whenever a big name hits the market, you can always count on the New York Knicks to somehow get involved. While they were described as “under-the-radar” in the Holiday market by ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Knicks’ presence shouldn’t be a surprise. After missing out on Donovan Mitchell last year, the Knicks still want that other star to pair alongside Jalen Brunson. There isn’t too much smoke coming out of New York on the Holiday front, but they are a team to keep an eye on.
Indiana Pacers
Along with the Knicks, the Pacers were considered a potential dark horse candidate in the market for Holiday. The Pacers have improved since Tyrese Haliburton became the face of the franchise, but they still aren’t considered one of the contenders in the Eastern Conference. Are they a Jrue Holiday away from becoming that? Most likely not.
Los Angeles Clippers
A really bad scenario for the Sixers would be if the Clippers landed Jrue Holiday. Being that the Clippers were James Harden’s only legitimate trade suitor this offseason, landing Holiday would mean that the trade talks between the Sixers and the Clippers on the Harden front would be finished once and for all.
While the Sixers would be comfortable running it back with Harden for another season, nobody knows if the ten-time All-Star will open his mind up to that or not. The best-case scenario for the Sixers is to facilitate a trade where Harden goes to LA, Holiday reunites with the Sixers, and the Blazers land desirable assets for the future. Unfortunately for the Sixers, the Clippers now have other options, which could complicate the Harden saga further.
Be on the Lookout
As the Holiday market opens, many teams will likely inquire. Some other teams who might arrive later to the party are the Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, and the Brooklyn Nets.
At one point, those three squads were linked to Lillard. The Raptors were the favorites to land the now-former Blazers guard for a brief minute before the Bucks shocked the basketball world. Clearly, Toronto isn’t operating like a team that wants to hit a soft rebuild this offseason after missing the playoffs.
The Brooklyn Nets completely revamped their roster last season, closing the book on the KD-Kyrie duo. After making the playoffs with a squad centered around Mikal Bridges, a veteran ball-handler like Holiday would certainly give the Nets more clarity in the backcourt, considering Brooklyn is currently banking on Ben Simmons to get back to his old ways, which is a risky bet.
Then, there’s the Chicago Bulls. With Lonzo Ball set to miss another run, Chicago could desperately use a veteran playmaker while they still have some talented, seasoned veterans on the roster.
Buckle up. The Holiday saga is just getting started.
