Jrue Holiday Trade Rumors: Mavs Out on Deal; Pelicans Eyeing Team in the East

As the New Orleans Pelicans supposedly look to trade Jrue Holiday, at least one team is out of the running.

Brad Townsend of the Dallas Morning News reported that Dallas is out on the 30-year-old guard, since the Pelicans "are determined" to send Holiday out of the Western Conference.

"They don't want to compete against him," Townsend said.  

Holiday, the 17th overall pick by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2009, carries a hefty price tag after his seventh season in New Orleans, where he just followed up a career-best 2018-19 season by averaging 19.1 points and 6.7 assists per game.

According to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated, a transaction would require a top-10 pick in Wednesday's draft. 

Mannix added that the Denver Nuggets, who hold the No. 22 pick in the draft, "are a strong threat" based on their young talent to acquire Holiday. Kevin O'Connor of The Ringer reported Thursday that the Boston Celtics are plotting to move up in the draft and "reroute that pick to the Pelicans" for the 6'3" guard (h/t Nick Goss of NBC Sports Boston). 

The Portland Trail Blazers have also expressed interest, per O'Connor, who added that "it's highly unlikely anything happens" because they wouldn't be able to compete with other teams in the trade market. 

Holiday is on the books for $26.3 million in the 2020-21 season and has a player option next year, though it remains to be seen which team is willing to pay that out as the Pelicans look to make a move.