According to Vincent Goodwill of Yahoo Sports, the Denver Nuggets are one of several teams inquiring with the New Orleans Pelicans about star guard Jrue Holiday.
“Even though official league business hasn’t begun for next season, it hasn’t stopped teams from discussing parameters for trades.
One hot name: New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday. According to sources, around 10 teams are inquiring about his services and one team hot after him is the Denver Nuggets, eager to capitalize on their appearance in the West Finals.”
In 2019-20, Holiday averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 assists in 34.7 minutes per game for the Pelicans last season. He shot 45.5% from the field and 35.7% from three-point range, respectable numbers for a guard asked to do as much as he is on the defensive side of the floor.
The Nuggets have been linked to Holiday in the past, and for good reason. The combo guard offers a versatile, complementary skill set tailor made for many contenders in the NBA today. With the capability to defend the opposing team’s best guard/wing while also being a scoring and playmaking threat on the other end, Holiday is a unique star that remains under-appreciated for his work on both ends of the floor.
As always, trades come down to the price that both sides are willing to pay. Holiday has one more year left on his contract as well as a player option for the 2021-22 season. Any team that acquires Holiday will assume the risk that Holiday could walk away in a year as a free agent. From New Orleans’ perspective, Holiday has been a loyal member of the Pelicans for seven seasons after being acquired in a 2013 NBA Draft day trade. Holiday has played nearly 14,000 minutes as a member of the Pelicans and is a fixture for their team both on and off the floor. He’s an integral member of the community and one of the very best teammates in the NBA.
The Nuggets have made it clear that Michael Porter Jr. — along with franchise cornerstones Nikola Jokić and Jamal Murray — is considered untouchable in trade talks. Given Holiday’s age (30 years old) and expiring contract situation, it would be surprising if Denver parted with a player they believe could be a generational scorer in a few years. Other players like Gary Harris, Will Barton, Monte Morris, Bol Bol, and PJ Dozier would be difficult but not impossible to part with in a deal for a piece the Nuggets believe could be the difference in a championship run.
Make sure to check out the rest of Vincent Goodwill’s article here.
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