New Orleans Pelicans: The Jrue Holiday Ripple-Effect Trade

Sending Jrue Holiday to the Golden State Warriors can change the New Orleans Pelicans franchise

As the 2020 NBA offseason hits one of its dullest points for the New Orleans Pelicans, one piece of speculation is beginning to gain traction. That news is coming from ESPN writer Tim Bontemps.

In a piece breaking down some draft buzz he’s received from NBA insiders, Bontemps dropped a tiny revelation to a trade that could involve the Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday. Bontemps writes that the Golden State Warriors are looking to trade their #2 pick for a star ready to help them win now.

Here’s what he says:

"“Sources around the league are unanimous in thinking that the Warriors will do their best to pull off a trade (with the #2 pick) …the most gettable name may wind up being New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday” – Tim Bontemps via ESPN.com"

Out of all the speculation about trading Jrue Holiday this, I’d love this deal for the New Orleans Pelicans the most! This trade can change the New Orleans Pelicans’ future.

The Benefits of the New Orleans Pelicans sending Jrue Holiday to Golden State

For this deal to work on the Golden State Warriors end it would begin with this framework:

This is a fantastic return for the New Orleans Pelicans, even if Golden State makes them throw in their first-round pick or J.J. Redick. I believe this is the move that completes the New Orleans Pelicans core and will allow David Griffin and the rest of the front office to then put their focus on adding depth around the team.

The biggest reason is receiving the 2nd overall pick in the draft. That pick will give the New Orleans Pelicans their choice of nearly any top prospect. That player might be James Wiseman who we’ve written about recently or another elite player on the wing.

If the Warriors let the Pelican keep their first-round pick then there’s a ripple-effect of options for the team’s front office. The team can flip one or both of the picks for future ones as Celtics’ executive Danny Ainge has done. They could trade pick 13 to acquire an NBA rotation player that fills one of the team’s holes or they can use the two picks to finishing building their core. That last option would allow David Griffin to then use all the picks the team received in the Anthony Davis trade for future moves.

That’s before even talking about some of the untapped potential the team could get out of Andrew Wiggins. Poor Andrew Wiggins, he went from the hyped-up first overall pick to a player being used in multiple salary dumps, but he’s still only 25 years old. I think there’s still more to Wiggins’ game. He’s a gifted scorer and during his short stint in Golden State, he was beginning to show qualities of a complete player.

A deal with the Golden State Warriors will be the second franchise-altering move in David Griffin’s tenure. This is the aggressive move that championship executives make. It’s a move that isn’t too different from the trades Griffin made in Cleveland. It’s exactly the trade that puts a small-market team on the road to championship glory.