Jrue Holiday Reportedly Drawing Interest from Knicks, Mavericks in Free Agency

The New Orleans Pelicans hope to retain point guard Jrue Holiday, an unrestricted free agent during the upcoming offseason, but the Dallas Mavericks and New York Knicks have emerged as possible competition once he hits the open market.

On Thursday, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reported the Mavs view Holiday as a "free-agent target," though they'll likely need to create cap space to make a serious offer. The Knicks' level of interest will be dependent on the guard's contract demands.

The 26-year-old UCLA product averaged 15.4 points, 7.3 assists and 3.9 rebounds across 67 appearances for the Pelicans during the 2016-17 campaign.

He missed the early stages of the season while caring for his wife, former United States women's national soccer team member Lauren Holiday, and their newborn child after Lauren was forced to have a brain tumor removed shortly after giving birth.

In April, he told Scott Kushner of the New Orleans Advocate he hadn't even begun to think about his future with the Pelicans or the potential of joining another team.

"For the most part, I have just kind of thought about this year," Holiday said. "It's had its ups and downs and I'm blessed and my family is OK, so I'm just trying to come out and do the only thing I can do, which is be positive because everything in my life is going really well."

Meanwhile, Pelicans head coach Alvin Gentry said Tuesday on SiriusXM NBA Radio that "re-signing Jrue Holiday is a number one priority."

ESPN.com's Zach Lowe reported in January the Philadelphia 76ers are also interested in a possible reunion with the guard, should he hit free agency.

The Knicks could provide a chance to play alongside his older brother, Justin Holiday. He joined New York as part of the blockbuster Derrick Rose trade last July, but is also scheduled to become a UFA. He's expressed interest in playing on the same team as Jrue, per Marc Berman of the New York Post.

Ultimately, there figures to be ample interest in Holiday this summer, which should result in him scoring a lucrative long-term contract from New Orleans or another organization.