The Future of Jrue Holiday: A Bird Writes, Saints Nation and Pelican Debrief Roundtable
Where do you think Jrue winds up this summer?
Oleh Kosel
Barring another team offering the maximum salary AND adding his brother, Justin Holiday, Jrue will continue to wear a New Orleans Pelicans jersey.
Kevin Barrios
Jrue will be a Pelican because Dell will overpay and Jrue won’t find a better offer out there. He may consider a return to Philly, but Kyle Lowry is more likely to get that spot.
Jason Albert
Jrue Holiday winds up back in NOLA next season. Not only can the Pelicans offer Holiday more money than any other team, but this is a team on the rise! Holiday has the rare opportunity to play with two All-Stars if he chooses to stay in New Orleans.
To break it down here are Holiday’s options: 1) resign for more money than you are likely to get elsewhere and play with the best bigs in the biz, or 2) sign elsewhere for less money, have to uproot your family and probably play with lesser talent.
Even if another team offers slightly more money per year, Holiday is still likely to have the most guaranteed money with the Pelicans since they can offer an extra year on his contract. Also, Holiday has really focused on getting involved with the community and people of Louisiana and was nominated for the NBA Community Assist Award.
Andrew Juge
Despite all this I think Jrue is a goner. Could you blame him? Nola has been a black hole destination for a really long time. It’s less about the small market and more about dysfunctional management at every turn. I think Jrue runs away as soon as possible just like every major free agent before him.
Rick Stone
Look, it’s not the most exciting or flashy move, but New Orleans will likely give Jrue his big payday. Taking a risk on a different point guard is a huge risk and there might not even be point guards near his skill set even available. If they are, they will be asking for nearly the same price tag Holiday will be. It would be a surprise to see the Pelicans go a different direction than Jrue Holiday come this offseason. Prediction is he stays by the Bayou.
Chris Conner
My gut says It will come down to the Knicks and Pelicans. I’m sure Jrue would entertain a team like the Lakers being from California. It seems though, they’re focused on the draft and PG13 next summer.
The Knicks need a point guard and have been linked to Jrue for the past year or two. I would let him walk and try to sign a few lower level guys given their needs and Jrue’s price tag. Unfortunately, with the Pelicans needing to appease AD and Boogie, they need as much high level talent as they can acquire.
There’s not another guy out there that can realistically give them that at Jrue’s age with a matching skill-set . They can’t miss wrong and I don’t think they’re willing to gamble. Jrue ends up back in NOLA.
Josiah Brady
Trusting that a statistical anomaly will occur would be setting myself up for disappointment. The prospect of a young guard who would gel with the frontcourt quickly, without the need for veteran assistance, seems a little unlikely, so I think Jrue will end up back in New Orleans with a near-max deal and a front office who will rave about his imminent offensive progression.