New Orleans Pelicans: Trading Jrue Holiday to the Indiana Pacers

The New Orleans Pelicans trading Jrue Holiday to Indiana is a real possibility.

There have been trade rumors surrounding Jrue Holiday for a little while now, but it has now been confirmed by Shams Charania of the Athletic that the New Orleans Pelicans are in real talks of trading their long time veteran leader.

Jrue Holiday has spent the last seven seasons in New Orleans after being traded from the 76ers in 2014.

He’s averaged 17.7 PPG, 6.8 APG, and 4.2 RPG in his career with the Pelicans, which is quite impressive considering he’s played alongside players like Anthony Davis, Demarcus Cousins, Brandon Ingram, and Zion Williamson, who are all 20+ PPG scorers.

Jrue Holiday understands how to play his role and is not only a great offensive player, but was also referred by Kevin Durant via the Old Man and The Three podcast as, “the best defender in the league at the guard position.”

Defense has been undervalued in the modern NBA but there is no doubt that Jrue is one of the best two-way players in the entire league.

Unfortunately, the furthest the Pelicans have been able to make it with Jrue is the second round of the playoffs when they had AD and Demarcus Cousins.

And now with the addition of Lonzo Ball, it makes for a sort of awkward fit in the Pelicans backcourt.

The Pelicans would be better suited with a true shooting guard and a reliable center.

New Orleans Pelicans: What a Jrue Holiday trade to the Indiana Pacers would look like:

Beginning with Oladipo, it has been rumored over the past month that Victor wants out of Indiana. He did recently deny these rumors, but If they are true, then it makes it a lot easier for the Pacers organization to let him go.

Myles Turner hasn’t performed quite as well as people would have hoped since coming into the league. But, he is still only 23 years old. Myles can spread the floor and block shots.

I can see Turner being a really good fit in New Orleans.

This trade would put the Pelicans in a great position because they would still hold onto that number 13 pick and be able to build around a young core for years to come.

This gives the Pelicans a lineup of Lonzo, Oladipo, Ingram, Zion, and Turner.

A pretty lethal starting lineup if you ask me…

As for the Pacers, adding a star guard like Jrue Holiday to their lineup could take this team to the next level. This trade would also free up some cap space for Indiana to sign players in the off-season.

And with the recent emergence of T.J Warren, the Pacers are less needy of a player like Oladipo and would be much better off with a player like Jrue.

This trade would put the Pacers lineup as something like this: Brogdon, Jrue Holiday, Jeremy Lamb, T.J Warren, And Domantas Sabonis.

Aside from that, this Jrue Holiday trade would link all three Holiday brothers in Indiana.

Something that has never been seen before in NBA history.