Trade Packages and Landing Spots for Pelicans Guard Jrue Holiday

There won't be many big names on the free-agent market later this month when teams are allowed to make moves, but there could be some major players on the trade market. One of them may be New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday.

The Athletic's Shams Charania reported on Wednesday that the team is actively engaging in trade talks centered around Holiday with multiple teams.

Pelicans executive vice president of basketball operations David Griffin downplayed that report in a fan Q&A but acknowledged that they've listened to offers. With Zion Williamson going into his second season, Brandon Ingram coming off an All-Star year and newly hired head coach Stan Van Gundy in tow, the Pelicans are looking to make the playoffs as soon as this season. (It should be noted that Ingram is set to become a restricted free agent, but he's coming off a breakout year, and it would be a shock if the Pelicans don't re-sign him at any cost.)

In an interview with Bleacher Report after he took the head coaching job in October, Van Gundy mentioned Holiday as one of the players he was excited about working with. He's been excellent for New Orleans in the playoffs before, particularly in its 2018 first-round series against the Portland Trail Blazers.

New Orleans would likely not be looking to trade him for unproven young players or draft picks. It would have to be either a clear upgrade or multiple players who can help the team win now.

Similarly, any organization making a move for Holiday will likely be one looking to compete in the immediate future. Holiday is 30 and can become a free agent after the 2020-21 season, so any team willing to give up what it would take to get him must be prepared to re-sign him next summer on a deal that could exceed $30 million annually.

Here are a few possibilities for trade partners who both have pieces New Orleans might want and make sense for Holiday from a fit perspective. As always, these are hypothetical and not based on actual talks that have occurred.

Brooklyn Nets

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Brooklyn gets: Jrue Holiday

New Orleans gets: Spencer Dinwiddie, Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen

Brooklyn is known to be chasing a third star to pair with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, and Bradley Beal is seemingly not on the market for now.

Holiday would be a nice fit, capable of playing next to Irving in the backcourt or playing point guard when Irving is off the floor. He'd also bring a lot defensively to make up for Irving's deficiencies on that end.

From New Orleans' standpoint, it would get three players who could be major rotation members for years to come. Allen could play next to Williamson if the Pelicans don't want their 20-year-old franchise star playing center, and LeVert and Ingram would form a strong duo on the perimeter.

This would be a lot for Brooklyn to give up, but Holiday is a proven playoff performer who fits its win-now timeline and complements its two superstars.

Denver Nuggets

Gerald Herbert/Associated Press

Denver gets: Jrue Holiday

New Orleans gets: Will Barton, Gary Harris, draft picks

After Jamal Murray's explosion in the bubble, it's clear that Barton (who missed the entire restart) is probably not long for Denver. Harris, who dealt with a hip injury for most of the bubble, was also not a major factor in the Nuggets' run to the Western Conference Finals.

Both, however, are talented players with playoff experience who could have bigger roles on a Pelicans team in need of veterans who can defend than they do in their current situation, where there's a logjam.

The idea of a Murray-Holiday backcourt is enticing for Nuggets, and they wouldn't lose any of the players who were integral to their latest run. Harris and Barton are good defenders, but due to injuries and inconsistent offense, neither is a permanent long-term starter. Consolidating that spot and upgrading to Holiday would make the Nuggets much better while giving New Orleans two quality pieces in return.

This feels like a deal that makes sense for both sides.

Portland Trail Blazers

Rusty Costanza/Associated Press

Portland gets: Jrue Holiday

New Orleans gets: CJ McCollum

This would be a one-for-one swap that gives New Orleans a scoring upgrade and Portland a defensive boost.

McCollum has plenty of experience playing off the ball with Damian Lillard. He can also create at the point, so he could either play with Lonzo Ball or run the offense when Ball is out.

Portland had the fourth-worst defense in the league this season, per NBA.com. That wasn't entirely the fault of Lillard and McCollum, but that backcourt has never been great defensively. Holiday would help there without much of a drop-off on the offensive end.

The Blazers have thus far been reluctant to break up the Lillard-McCollum duo, and they don't necessarily have to. But if they want to shake things up by acquiring a player who could perhaps better complement Lillard while making their defense significantly better, this would be a move to consider.