Pelicans Rumors: Why a Kemba Walker Jrue Holiday swap is a bad idea

Accepting Kemba Walker from the Boston Celtics as a trade package for Jrue Holiday isn’t smart for the New Orleans Pelicans

It feels like the New Orleans Pelicans are on the verge of making a big deal happen. That notion all started a few weeks ago when The Athletic reported that the New Orleans Pelicans are actively shopping Jrue Holiday.

Even though some people think that Jrue Holiday has been on the trade block forever, it hasn’t quite been like that. When David Griffin took over the Pelicans, he was willing to listen if teams wanted to make an offer on Holiday, but he wasn’t looking to trade Holiday. Now he is.

Of course, that’s not even what makes this deal feel anymore imminent, instead, it was some of the reports that came from the Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor that suggested the Pelicans want to acquire a second lottery pick for Holiday and make a deal with either the Atlanta Hawks or Boston Celtics to do it.

As someone who grew up and lives in Boston, Massachuttes I’m lucky that I get to see these reports from the other side. As national reporters have speculated that the Celtics want Holiday, the beat writers within the city of Boston have suggested that Danny Ainge is being aggressive for Jrue Holiday. Some of their reports are suggesting that the Celtics want to trade up for a lottery pick and flip that pick along with Kemba Walker to acquire Jrue Holiday.

I’d like to warn New Orleans Pelicans fans right now, don’t do that deal!

Why the New Orleans Pelicans should avoid a Kemba Walker-Jrue Holiday swap

I can start with the obvious approach here and say it makes no sense for the New Orleans Pelicans to trade for Kemba Walker because they already have Lonzo Ball on their roster. Acquiring Walker will only hinder Ball’s development. Let me dig a little deeper here though.

Even if the Pelicans could make Kemba Walker fit on the roster, this move is very risky. Don’t let Danny Ainge fool you into thinking that you’re acquiring a younger All-Star Pelicans fans, what you’re actually doing is Danny Ainge’s dirty work. What does that mean?

Well, a big story in the Boston area right now is Kemba Walker’s knee. In fact, it’s the biggest story in Boston today outside of the fall from grace that’s occurring to a certain football team. Last season, Kemba Walker was limited all season with a knee injury and even after getting a layoff from the pandemic, it still wasn’t healthy.

Walker had to get a series of Synvisc injections which essentially prolong a need for major knee surgery. He then had surgery in the offseason. This led Dr. Jessica Flynn of the Boston Medical Center to write that Walker’s knee issue is most likely degenerative in the Boston Sports Journal. That means it’s only going to get worse and Walker’s team will have to manage his knee for the rest of his career.

The last thing the New Orleans Pelicans should want is a player who might not even be available, no way. It also doesn’t make sense for the Celtics to want to move Walker.

Yes, I know his knee is a problem but I consider the optics. For as great and innovative as the city of Boston is, I’m well aware that the city has a checkered past involving racism. That issue still carries on today and it’s a major reason why the Boston Celtics aren’t a free agent destination for black NBA athletes.

If Danny Ainge opts to trade Kemba Walker on the first sign of trouble with his knee, when Walker chose to sign with the Celtics, it’s a bad look. It’ll definitely impact the Celtics’ ability to gain star talent even further.

Now we can all understand that Kemba Walker is a mirage, he’s a smoke and mirrors trick that Danny Ainge might be trying pawn off the New Orleans Pelicans in bad taste. The Pelicans can and definitely should acquire a better package for Jrue Holiday then just Kemba Walker and a top-10 pick.