Could Jrue Holiday be a trade candidate for the Lakers?
The NBA has been shaken up by Wednesday’s news that a three-team trade will send Damian Lillard from the Portland Trail Blazers to the Milwaukee Bucks. The Bucks were already championship contenders, as they have been for the past few years, but now they will likely catapult to the top of the board as the favorites to win it all.
There are plenty of other moving parts in this trade. The Blazers will receive Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton and Grayson Allen, as well as a 2029 first-round draft pick from the Bucks that could turn out to be very valuable.
The Blazers will now be able to rebuild in earnest with some nice pieces. However, the 33-year-old Holiday doesn’t fit their timeline, and they’re expected to flip him for some more assets. A number of teams have already reportedly expressed interest in trading for him.
Should the Lakers be one of the teams that go after the veteran point guard?
On paper, Holiday would be a terrific addition
Holiday, who is 6-foot-5 and 205 pounds, averaged 19.3 points and 7.4 assists a game last season for Milwaukee. He also shot 38.4 percent on 6.1 3-point attempts a game, and that is a quality that would certainly help a Lakers team that may still lack outside shooting.
He is regarded as an outstanding defender, and his size allows him, at least in theory, to switch on to bigger guards. Last season, the Lakers had some problems defensively in that regard, especially in the playoffs, and Holiday’s defense could come in very handy should they meet Lillard’s Bucks in the NBA Finals. This quality may be the most important selling point for the Purple and Gold.
Holiday also could help lessen LeBron James’ workload offensively, and he did play on Milwaukee’s 2021 championship team, which means he has the type of experience that would help L.A. get over the hump. It suddenly has a rather young roster, and James has talked in the past about how much he likes playing with veterans who are smart and experienced.
In addition, Holiday is originally from the Southland. He grew up in the San Fernando Valley and attended Campbell Hall School before moving on to the University of California, Los Angeles. He even spent six seasons with Anthony Davis while on the New Orleans Pelicans.
It should be mentioned that historically, Holiday has shot a poor percentage in the playoffs, as evidenced by his 41.8 percent lifetime accuracy. However, on a team with lots of firepower, it may not be too much of a problem.
Landing Holiday would be difficult for the Lakers
There is virtually nothing the Lakers can do right now to make a move for Holiday. Most of their players aren’t currently eligible to be traded, and Holiday has two years left on his contract at over $36 million per season.
But come Dec. 15, virtually everyone on their roster could be included in any potential deal. That’s the first obstacle for L.A. — namely the fact that Holiday would need to still be available at that time, which may be unlikely given how many suitors he may have right now.
If he is still available on Dec. 15, one would have to expect D’Angelo Russell to be the centerpiece of any package the team would offer if it wanted to make a play for Holiday. Who else would Portland demand?
A package of Russell and Rui Hachimura, for instance, would be a steep price to pay given how much offense and depth the Lakers would lose. But what if a package of Russell and a few expendable role players, plus some modest draft capital, would get the job done?
The downside to getting Holiday would be the fact that he is 33 years of age. He has also appeared in more than 67 games just once in the last 10 seasons, and the Lakers don’t need any more key players who are injury-prone.
At the same time, getting him would be a win-now move, and with James nearing his 39th birthday, perhaps it would be a justifiable move if the price is low enough. In addition, jettisoning Russell would give Austin Reaves more room for growth, if he indeed has true All-Star potential.
