Chicago Bulls: 3 players to target for a Zach LaVine trade

3) Players to target in a LaVine trade: Jrue Holiday, Point Guard

If there’s any way that the Bulls could land a solid trade package out of the New Orleans Pelicans to bolster this rebuild for the future, then they should do so immediately. The Pelicans have a plethora of trade assets that would be valuable to the Bulls. And among their veteran pieces, there’s no more attractive piece to the Bulls than the 6-foot-3 and 205 pound 30-year-old point guard Jrue Holiday.

In the season that was for the Pelicans, Holiday played in 61 games (starting in all of them). Holiday and the Pelicans fell a few games shy of making the playoffs out in the Western Conference. But they still have a lot to look forward to next season, and in the years thereafter, with sensational rookie forward Zion Williamson at the helm.

However, Holiday averaged 19.1 points per game, 4.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.6 steals, and 0.8 blocks. He shot 45.5 percent from the field, 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, and 70.9 percent from the free-throw line. That amounted to a 1.8 box plus/minus rating, 2.0 value over replacement player rating, .088 win shares per 48 minutes, 3.9 total win shares, and a 53.7 true shooting percentage.

The one-time NBA All-Star selection and two-time All-Defensive Team selection has two years left on his current contract. He’s paid more than LaVine (by a little under $10 million per year). But that price tag should still be worth it for that veteran two-way presence that Holiday would bring for the Bulls at the point guard position.