Bucks Zone

Jrue Holiday's brother speaks on blockbuster Damian Lillard trade made by the Bucks

Aaron Holiday understands the business urgency of the trade but was still left clueless as a brother of the All-Star guard.

Matthew Dugandzic

© Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
In this story:

It's been over two months already since the Milwaukee Bucks delivered one of the most notable trades in recent memory by pushing the button and trading Jrue Holiday for Damian Lillard. It has been a significant and massive shocker, especially from Holiday himself, considering that he aired his wishes to retire as a Buck just a day before the trade happened.

The star guard was instrumental in being the missing piece while helping Milwaukee to get over the hump and win the 2020-21 NBA championship. For three seasons, his tenacity, defense, and playmaking have captivated Bucks fans daily.

For one of Jrue Holiday's brothers, it has been a bittersweet moment to see the 33-year-old leave the place he already built special moments.

A perfect destination

In a recent interview with HoopsHype's Mike Scotto, Aaron Holiday made it known that as an NBA player, he understands the business nature of the league based on what the Bucks did. But as a brother, he couldn't hide his doubts about the blockbuster trade that involved the two-time All-Star.

Ultimately, the current Houston Rockets veteran is fully optimistic that Jrue has landed in the best place he can ask for and still compete for a championship.

"I understood why they traded him. Obviously, they wanted Damian Lillard. As a brother, I didn't understand it at the same time. As an NBA player, I did. However, Jrue landed in a perfect spot. He's on another contending team. He's there to help them win, and he could be the missing piece with Kristaps Porzingis. He can be the missing piece for another championship. He's a great talent and plays his role. He's not going to be a guy who is out here too many shots or going off script. He's going to stick to the game plan, play the right way, and play defense. That's all you really need for that team because they have a lot of scoring, and he plays really good defense as well. I feel like they have a great chance to win the championship," Aaron said.

Still a beneficial move for title hopes

Although painful, the Bucks have meanwhile acquired one of the game's greatest in Lillard at the expense of Holiday. The future Hall of Famer is still obviously familiarizing himself with his new environment after 11 magical years in Portland. Still, Lillard has been tremendous so far with 25.5 points and 6.9 assists averages.

Holiday will remain an essential piece of the Bucks' history, given his contributions to the franchise. But for now, the franchise is locked in to move forward and win another title, this time in the Lillard era.

Jrue Holiday had this to say about trade from the Milwaukee Bucks: "Warning would've been cool"

Published
Matthew Dugandzic
MATTHEW DUGANDZIC

Matthew finished his bachelor's degree in Economics (Management) at the University of Split and got his master's degree in the same field at the University of Zadar. Whether it is playing the game as an undersized 6'3'' power forward or simply watching it, Matthew can't get enough of it. After all, he has been an avid NBA fan since the 2000s. But don't get him wrong, as Matthew still loves the old-school NBA and is a true student of the game. From on-court moments to off-court stuff, whether it's about the stars of modern-day basketball or legends of the game, Matthew covers every category of the NBA world and basketball in general, as long as it makes for an engaging and exciting story.