The idea of Jrue Holiday back in Philadelphia has the kind of instant appeal that can take over a fan base in a hurry. On paper, it sounds like the sort of move that would make an already loaded Sixers roster even nastier. In reality, though, the path to making it happen is a lot messier than the internet rumor mill would have you believe.
The buzz started with talk that the Portland Trail Blazers could buy out Holiday, opening the door for a return to the city where his NBA career began. That was enough to get people dreaming, and former Sixer Evan Turner jumped in with a bold take.
"If Jrue Holiday goes to Philly then that's your 2027 NBA champions
Don't @ me," Turner wrote on X.
It’s a fun thought, but there doesn’t appear to be any credible reporting backing up the idea that Holiday is actually available. And even if Portland were tempted to go that route, a buyout doesn’t line up neatly with a team that is expected to be in the mix for a playoff spot in 2027.
Still, the bigger question is whether Philadelphia should try to get involved if Holiday ever did become reachable. The Sixers have been connected to him before, and for good reason. Holiday has gone from leaving Philadelphia in 2013 to becoming a two-time All-Star and a two-time NBA champion.
Joel Embiid has also made his feelings clear in his own way. While watching the Boston Celtics push toward a title in 2024, he posted, "Did the Bucks give them a championship?" Many took that as Embiid pointing to Holiday as the kind of difference-maker who can swing a series or even a season.
That’s the case for the dream. Holiday would fit the idea of a veteran backcourt piece who could back up Tyrese Maxey and raise the ceiling of the group.
But then the numbers show up and snap everyone back to earth. Holiday would cost $34.8 million, and the Sixers would have to find a way to make that salary work.
That’s where the fantasy starts to fall apart.
Philadelphia is built around a few expensive pieces and doesn’t have much in the way of movable money. After Tyrese Maxey’s $40.0 million salary, VJ Edgecombe is next at $11.6 million.
Dean Wade is at $9.0 million, and Anfernee Simons is at $6.0 million, with the rest dropping into minimum territory. Getting Holiday would require too many parts to shift around.
There is one version of this story that would make perfect sense for the Sixers: Holiday asks out of Portland, gets waived, and eventually lands in Philadelphia on a minimum deal, following in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope’s footsteps as the 15th addition to the roster. But that scenario doesn’t appear to be on the table right now in Portland.
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