With trade rumors surrounding Anthony Davis and the New Orleans Pelicans continuing to circulate, the team has taken a firm stance on the status of their second star Jrue Holiday.
An attractive asset for teams in need of a quality guard, Holiday has reportedly been brought up in trade talks as well recently. However, while it appears that Davis may be on his way out of the Big Easy, the Pelicans aren’t set to hit the switch on a full rebuild just yet. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, the Pelicans aren’t planning to trade Jrue Holiday, despite multiple teams showing interest.
Amid the Anthony Davis talks, teams calling on New Orleans' next best player — guard Jrue Holiday — tell ESPN that the Pels are indicating no interest in moving him. Beyond this season, Holiday has three years, $77M left on deal through 2022.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 2, 2019
Jrue Holiday has been spectacular for the Pelicans over the past few seasons and has elevated his play to another level again this year. The UCLA product is averaging career-highs across the board so far this season, posting 21 points, 8 assists and a shade under 5 rebounds per game.
Though Davis may be moving on, it makes sense for the Pelicans to want to retain Holiday, even if a rebuild is ultimately the route they decide to take. While trading him for attractive, younger assets may seem like an alluring option, his productivity and versatility in that Pelicans backcourt would be hard to replicate.
Though the Pelicans have shown a willingness to deal some of their other veterans such as Nikola Mirotic and Julius Randle, Holiday evidently remains untouchable. Perhaps things will change once the Anthony Davis situation is finally resolved, but for now, don’t expect Holiday to be on the move ahead of this year’s trade deadline.
