The New Orleans Pelicans will get a ton of draft picks in the Jrue Holiday trade.
The New Orleans Pelicans finally traded guard Jrue Holiday to the Milwaukee Bucks, a team that wasn’t really on the rumor radar until they suddenly were.
The Bucks didn’t have much to send back in the way of players, so they had to include a ton of picks to acquire Holiday, an all-in move that they clearly made to appease Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is a free agent after this season.
They also moved three players in a sign-and-trade for Bogdan Bogdanovic, making Milwaukee the clear favorite in the East and possibly to win the title.
The Pelicans got Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, two veterans who are on the wrong side of 30 but can still contribute.
The real prize is the bevy of picks they will get, which should allow the New Orleans Pelicans to be players in the draft and trades for years to come.
What picks did the New Orleans Pelicans get for Jrue Holiday?
The Pels will reportedly receive three first-round picks plus two pick swaps, which rivals the haul they got in the Anthony Davis trade.
Here is the pick breakdown on the Jrue Holiday trade:
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) November 17, 2020
New Orleans receives
2020 1st (via IND)
2024 right to swap
2025 1st unprotected
2026 right to swap
2027 1st unprotected
The first pick will the the 24th in this year’s draft, not a great pick but one they should be able to use to get a role player or a defensive-minded big man.
The rest of the picks won’t be conveyed until far in the future, which is good for the Pels, as by then, the Bucks could be bad, especially if they are unable to re-sign Giannis.
The Pels can swap picks in 2024 and 2026 and have unprotected rights to the Bucks’ picks in 2025 and 2027 which could be very valuable picks.
The Bucks clearly want to win a title now and might have the team to do it but they gave up any chance they have at a future, while the Pels got rich with draft assets that they can use in a number of ways.