New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday (11) (Photo by Jevone Moore/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Giannis Antetokounmpo has another sidekick in Milwaukee, and its Jrue Holiday.
Holiday is one of the best two-way guards in the NBA, and he’ll fit in perfectly with the Bucks. The Pelicans guard had been connected with the Boston Celtics, as Danny Ainge was rumored to be willing to give up as many as three first-round picks for the 29-year-old.
The Bucks are desperately trying to convince the Greek Freak to stay in Milwaukee by the time he becomes a free agent after the 2021 season. Adding a player like Holiday to a team that already features Khris Middleton is a good start.
Holiday averaged 19.1 points per game on 45 percent shooting in the 2019-20 season. He’s signed through the 2020-21 season, with a player option that could take him into 2022.
What are the Bucks giving up for Holiday?
Uh, a lot to say the least.
Holiday is among the most underrated players in the Association, and it’s more evident now than ever considering how valuable he is to NBA executives around the league. The Pelicans won’t have to completely abandon contention either — they’re merely pushing back their timeline.
On a team with Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, the Pels will add competent guards in Eric Bledsoe and George Hill (assuming neither is bought out or flipped) and three future first-round picks. Lastly, the Pelicans also have the right to swap picks should they choose. It’s a behemoth of a trade for Milwaukee, but one they had no choice to make given the looming situation surrounding their superstar.
Antetokounmpo has long been connected to either the Warriors or Heat, despite little to no correspondence from his camp. He’s a notoriously quiet superstar, who only cares about hooping and winning. If the addition of Holiday sways him towards making Milwaukee home in the long-term, then it’s a job well done by general manager Jon Horst.