Jrue Holiday has had a quiet season to this point as a Pelican, and with the rebuild in full swing they could be looking to cash in for him.
New Orleans has one of the brightest futures in all of basketball, but Jrue Holiday simply does not fit their timeline. Although he is not necessarily surrounded by rumors heading into the deadline, he is a very realistic candidate to be traded out of New Orleans.
Holiday was an All Star at just 22 years of age as a Philadelphia 76er, but has yet to get back to the big game since. The 29-year-old is still playing very solid basketball in his 11th NBA season, but his young team has yet to turn the corner in the first year of a rebuild. This was quite expected, however, as the Pelicans are not built to win now, but rather a few years down the road. This is exactly why the Pelicans will look into moving Holiday, as they can get a solid amount of future assets for him.
Although a very good player, New Orleans is unlikely to get an All Star-level haul for Jrue. The Bulls are solid trade partners with the Pelicans in that they can provide both draft picks and young assets that fit the Pelicans’ timeline. Chandler Hutchison was selected by the Chicago Bulls using the Pelicans’ pick back in 2018. When healthy, Hutchison has played very good basketball and could be a very nice rotational piece for New Orleans. With two more years of team control after 2019-2020, Hutchison would become a part of the exciting young core in New Orleans.
Although Cristiano Felicio is thrown in merely to balance salaries, the Pelicans could certainly find some value in power forward Thaddeus Young. Whether the team would like to keep him around as a bench threat or deal him this Summer, Young certainly has value as both a trade chip and a player. Perhaps he could serve as a veteran mentor for young forward Zion Williamson.
The biggest motivating factor here for New Orleans is the 2021 first-round pick that is only protected top-ten. Accumulating draft picks is always key for a rebuilding squad such as New Orleans, and adding one from a Chicago team that has picked in the top-ten for three straight seasons is not a bad plan of attack.
For the Bulls, this deal would have to be a no brainer. Chicago would be acquiring an elite defender and playmaker who can step in and push the Bulls into the playoff picture. Additionally, the team would retain their draft pick for the 2020 season, while keeping their young core almost completely in tact. Holiday is also on a very good contract, as he is owed just over $25 million until the Summer of 2021 when he has a player option to exercise.
Holiday to the Bulls would be one of the better moves that this team could make. The need for an elite playmaker is certainly there, and this coupled with the Bulls defensive success this year makes Holiday a near ideal fit in Chicago.