New Orleans Pelicans Gauging Jrue Holiday Trade Market With Loyalty In Mind

Jrue Holiday and the New Orleans Pelicans did not have a pleasant trip to Disney World in Orlando. Unfortunately, that lethargic performance in Orlando was not the worst of times for Holiday with the Pelicans but it could have been his last games with the team. Tragic health scares, injuries to himself and teammates, and organizational disfunction kept Holiday from consistently having a platform to showcase his underappreciated talents. Now with Zion Williamson on the roster, David Griffin has to factor how much the organization values and appreciates Holiday’s talents long-term against how much other contending teams will pay for his services, in trade and salary considerations, short-term.

Before continuing with any complex trade negotiations, the New Orleans Pelicans have to hire a coach. Also, any bidding team will want to hear Holiday’s thoughts about his 2021-22 player option. He is under contract for $25.3 million next year. He could opt out afterwards, entering a market with a depressed salary cap and top-heavy on talent or play out the season for $26 million. In two summers there will be more money and less comparable talent available in free agency. Depending on how next season actually happens and his decision, it could be best for all parties to wait for the 2021 trade deadline. However, if Holiday is amenable to signing a reasonable deal to keep him in New Orleans until he is 34, Griffin may never be forced to answer those phone calls and bargaining texts.

Every title-chasing team would be playing Holiday heavy minutes were he available. Several of the teams that fall short of the NBA Finals will try to find a way to offer the Pelicans a tempting trade package without breaking up their championship core. Others will have to wait a year for Holiday to hit free agency. However, most of the trade offers mentioned since the NBA regular season was suspended falls short of matching Holiday’s true value to the Pelicans or the trade partner. Likewise, Holiday could cost more than New Orleans is will to pay in two years. The lack of a trade market now could force New Orleans into a no-win situation later.

If the Pelicans fail to acquire a package that supports and lengthens Williamson’s championship timeline, is that the message Griffin wants to send to the locker room and fanbase? Would that seem too much? A lackluster trade haul could be seen as too many steps back after one long season of trying to move forward with Williamson, a season that was restricted from reaching it’s potential in too many ways. The tumultuous season created a few more ‘what if’ situations for Holiday both looking back at past seasons and for his future.

Holiday stayed loyal to New Orleans in part because of Davis being in town. Where the Anthony Davis trade may have spoiled Pelicans fans, it soured Holiday on making decisions based on anyone outside his family. The Holiday family has been more active in making their voices heard. Times have changed drastically, situations are different but beloved as Holiday is, he is not worth the same as Davis in any market. What could anyone offer New Orleans that would make them deliberate parting with Holiday?

Any contender trading for Holiday will only send back late first-round draft picks and players either unproven or incapable of filling his role in New Orleans, on or off the court. Lottery teams usually lack the talent to make a bid, preferring an assortment of draft picks. The Pelicans have an abundance of picks after the Davis trade. Only so many prospects can fit on a competitive NBA roster. Trading Holiday now might hurt but it could be the most sensible option for him and the team, especially if he wants to move on to a sure-fire contender. The same move could also appear like a retreat from Griffin’s plan to build a sustainable championship culture, especially if Holiday expresses his desire to stay on a reasonable contract extension.

Holiday’s future contract must be weighed against any incoming players who could also clog up the cap sheet. So why else would the Pelicans consider trading Holiday, cap space? Most All-NBA players hitting free agency in the next two seasons will sign elsewhere, and stocking up on mid-tier players and draft picks only works to a certain extent. Ask Danny Ainge and the Boston Celtics, especially after they lost out on Davis.

Considering the roster construction, Holiday and his contract might look out of place as a 31-year-old guard sitting multi-year contract worth over $100 million. Those losses in Orlando might have been the last time Jrue was seen in a New Orleans uniform. Still, unless the front office sees a real benefit in moving Holiday, who approves of the trade, there is no reason to trade him.

He has been loyal, as has the team, through tough times. His game will age well and his leadership will be worth every penny even if the coronavirus affected salary cap increases only incrementally. His number should eventually be retired regardless of what happens this offseason. Some players need to move on before it is too late. Players like Holiday are different.

Unless he expresses a desire to change lanes, Holiday is the player an organization goes the last mile with, until the tank is empty. At this stage in his career and with Zion Williamson, there is no limit to what Holiday could still achieve in New Orleans.