Jrue Holiday asked New Orleans Pelicans Not to Trade Him

Jrue Holiday has been at the center of trade rumors for a couple of seasons, but the veteran made it clear he wants to remain with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The New Orleans Pelicans have a load of young talent, and a ton of draft assets, so it’s not a surprise that they are always involved in trade rumors.

At the center of most of them is combo guard Jrue Holiday, whose age and salary make him an easy target for rumors.

Holiday is 29-years-old and has two years left on his contract in which he’ll make $26.1 and $27 million per season, respectively.

But unlike a lot of guys his age who are making that much, Holiday can still play at a high level, so many fans of the New Orleans Pelicans think Holiday should be jettisoned while he still has value.

The problem is that throughout all of this, people just assumed Holiday was unhappy in New Orleans without ever bothering to ask him how he felt.

According to Sham Charania, who was on a recent episode of the Load Management Podcast, Holiday is happy in New Orleans and specifically asked the team not to trade him.

Jrue Holiday made it clear that he wants to remain a member of the New Orleans Pelicans.

Here’s what Charania had to say when asked about Holiday’s future in The Big Easy:

"“There was a lot of talk around the league that he did not want to be in New Orleans and, as the trade deadline neared, he let New Orleans know that, ‘I do not want to be moved, I’d rather stay here and see this thing through.’ And I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that they really started to play well, and then Zion Williamson’s return was right around the corner. That’s why I think this finish for New Orleans is going to be so important. Can they get in the playoffs? What damage can they do?”"

Though some fans think Holiday’s timeline doesn’t fit with young stars Zion Williamson, Lonzo Ball and Brandon Ingram, his defensive versatility and offensive playmaking are a key part of the Pelicans’ success.

Of course, this won’t stop the offseason rumor mill from churning out plenty of gossip about Holiday, but it’s good to hear that he is committed to the team.

Ideally, Holiday would ink an extension that spread his money over several more years, which could clear up some cap space for the Pelicans and keep the heart of the team where he belongs.