The New Orleans Pelicans could trade Jrue Holiday to the Chicago Bulls.
The New Orleans Pelicans have been involved in just about every trade rumor this offseason, most of which include moving Jrue Holiday.
Even though Holiday is very talented and the face of the franchise, he is making $27 million, which the Pelicans can probably better allocate to get a deeper and more balanced roster.
Now that Stan Van Gundy has been hired, most assumed that Jrue Holiday would not be moved, as a hire like SVG is a sign that the Pelicans want to win now and Jrue Holiday is the type of proven veteran defender Van Gundy loves.
However, there are some ways in which Jrue Holiday does not fit into Stan Van Gundy’s system, especially offensively, as SVG likes to run inside-out sets that are often initiated by his bigs.
Most people think Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram will often be used to start Van Gundy’s offense, which relies more on quick ball movement than dribble penetration.
Knowing this, do the Pelicans really need two starting point guards? If you look at Van Gundy’s teams in the past, he preferred surrounding a big man and a pick-and-roll point guard with tall wings who could shoot the 3-point shot.
If Van Gundy wants to try and replicate this system again, one way to do it would be a trade with the Chicago Bulls.
The Bulls have a new coach of their own in Billy Donovan and undoubtedly want to usher in a new culture of winning, just as the Pelicans are trying to do with Van Gundy.
The Bulls need talent and a player like Holiday would be a good place to start, as he would fit well in a backcourt with Bulls’ star Zach LaVine.
But what might a trade look like and would the Pelicans be interested?