The Portland Trail Blazers have a crowded backcourt, and that’s exactly why one trade idea has Jrue Holiday heading to the Charlotte Hornets.
Abdulqudus Babatunde of Last Word On Sports proposed a deal that would send Holiday to Charlotte in exchange for Grant Williams, a future second-round pick and the Hornets’ NBA record $40 million trade exception.
“A deal built around the trade exception, Grant Williams' expiring $14.3 million contract and a future second-round pick would give Portland cap relief without Charlotte surrendering first-round picks they just worked hard to accumulate,” Babatunde wrote. “Portland says they are keeping Holiday for now - and that may well be true.
But the organization also needs forward depth and knows the four-guard situation creates complications it will eventually need to address. When Portland's position softens, Charlotte's financial tools make them one of the cleaner landing spots available.”
The setup comes after a wild offseason for both teams. Charlotte dealt LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Naz Reid, while Portland sent Jerami Grant and Kris Murray to the Memphis Grizzlies for Ja Morant.
With Morant now in the mix alongside Holiday, Damian Lillard, Scoot Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, the idea is that Holiday could become the odd man out in Portland.
Holiday’s numbers last season show he still has plenty to offer. In 53 games for the Blazers, he averaged 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds and 6.1 assists while shooting 45.1% from the field, 37.8% from 3-point range and 83.8% at the line.
Charlotte’s projected starting five next season includes Coby White, Brandon Miller, Kon Knueppel, Reid and Moussa Diabaté, and Babatunde believes Holiday would slide in well if the Hornets made the move.
“His positional versatility also gives Charles Lee more lineup options than the roster currently offers,” Babatunde wrote. “He can guard guards, he can guard wings, and he can operate in a variety of offensive sets without requiring the game to run through him exclusively. For a coaching staff that values switchability and system over individual star power, that flexibility is more valuable than it might initially appear.”
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