Top 5 destinations for Jrue Holiday after massive Damian Lillard trade redirects 2021 NBA champion to Portland
Jrue Holiday is the biggest casualty of the Damian Lillard trade between the Milwaukee Bucks, Portland Trail Blazers, and Phoenix Suns.
The veteran guard is heading to Portland as part of the deal but is unlikely to remain with the rebuilding team as they continue to look for ways to expedite their roster reconstruction.
Holiday is an elite point-of-attack defender with a genuine three-level scoring skillset. The veteran guard is also on an expiring contract, assuming he doesn't opt into his player option for the 2024–25 season.
As such, the Trail Blazers will likely look to leverage any interest in holidays to add further assets to their growing treasure chest.
Here are five teams that could look to acquire Holiday via trade.
Top 5 destinations for Jrue Holiday
#1 Miami Heat
After missing out on Damian Lillard following a summer-long flirtation with the Superstar point guard, the Miami Heat could pivot and look to acquire Holiday via a trade.
Any package to bring the veteran guard to South Beach would be far more palatable than the one Miami would need to have paid to land Lillard.
Furthermore, Jrue Holiday projects to be more of a Heat player, given his elite defensive upside, firey on-court presence, and selfless approach to the game.
#2 Philadelphia 76ers
Now that Lillard has been traded, the Philadelphia 76ers will be hopeful of finding a resolution to their own trade saga with James Harden.
However, that shouldn't stop Daryl Morey from looking to upgrade the Sixers rotation, and Holiday would certainly be an upgrade.
A backcourt pairing of Holiday and Tyrese Maxey would be versatile and defensively strong.
Factor in Joel Embiid and Tobias Harris, and suddenly, the Sixers are serious championship contenders.
Still, there's no telling whether Philadelphia would have the necessary assets to get a deal over the line.
#3 Minnesota Timberwolves
The Minnesota Timberwolves could be a dark horse in the pursuit of Holiday. Minnesota has dreams of becoming a contending team and giving Anthony Edwards every reason to remain happy with the franchise.
However, Minnesota's trade assets are minimal following the incredible haul they paid to acquire Rudy Gobert.
#4 Toronto Raptors
Similarly to the Miami Heat, the Toronto Raptors could look to bounce back from missing out on Lillard by moving to acquire Jrue Holiday.
The veteran guard would be an excellent replacement for Fred VanVleet, and his defensive instincts would allow Dennis Schroder to focus on his best attribute: scoring the ball.
#5 New York Knicks
The New York Knicks are heading into the new season after making serious strides to becoming a contending team.
Holiday would be a solid addition to the Knicks rotation, especially due to his style of play and how Tom Thibodeau like's his Knicks teams to operate on the defensive side of the floor.
New York would face some cap issues by making the deal. However, if the Knicks are serious about contending, Holiday is a player that can help them get closer to their overall goals.