After Portland landed Ja Morant from the Memphis Grizzlies, Jrue Holiday quickly became the name to watch. The Trail Blazers suddenly had more point guards than obvious minutes, and Holiday’s contract only added to the idea that he could be the next piece moved.
That possibility is still there. Portland could trade Holiday before the start of the 2026-27 season if the right offer comes along, and the team should be willing to listen. His first season in Portland brought a resurgence that raised his value around the league, which only strengthens the case for keeping the phone lines open.
For now, though, the Blazers plan to hold onto him. That means any team hoping to pry him away would have to come with a package Portland can’t ignore.
The reason Holiday fits this roster so well is the same reason he has been one of the league’s best two-way guards for more than a decade: he can do more than the box score suggests. Portland believes that matters even with four starting-caliber point guards on the roster, because Holiday can play much bigger than his 6-foot-4 frame. He even held his own for stretches against Victor Wembanyama in the playoffs.
How new head coach Micah Nori sorts out the rotation is still an open question. Nori recently floated the idea of bringing Ja Morant off the bench if that’s what the situation calls for.
At the moment, six players are fighting for five spots: Morant, Holiday, Damian Lillard, Toumani Camara, Deni Avdija, and Donovan Clingan. And with Nori half-joking that Lillard will start as long as he’s able to walk, the real battle appears to be among Morant, Holiday, and Camara for the two remaining spots.
That kind of crunch would be a headache for most teams, but Holiday gives Portland a way to make it work. His ability to slide around the lineup, along with Camara’s and Avdija’s, gives Nori options to go small or big depending on the matchup. That flexibility matters on a roster built heavily around point guards and centers.
Holiday’s value goes beyond defense, even though his elite work on that end is a big part of why he has two championships on his resume. He also brings the kind of selfless approach that lets him fit into almost any setup, accepting whatever role is needed in the moment.
That’s why the age, the contract, and the crowded backcourt don’t automatically mean Portland should move him. The Blazers brought him in for a reason, and he has already shown he can lift the group around him. He has embraced Portland and his role there, and that matters for a team that has had a hard time getting stars to want to be here.
In a roster puzzle that looks messy on paper, Holiday is the piece that makes the whole thing possible.
In Other News...
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Shaedon Sharpe, Deni Avdija and Robert Williams III all sit in that conversation for different reasons, and each would mean something different if Portland decided to act. Sharpe brings upside and control, Avdija has become the kind of value contract teams covet, and Williams offers a more complicated mix of production and uncertainty, which is exactly why the Blazers have a tough call on their hands as they look to finish the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Ja Morant Suddenly Puts Blazers Fans In A Tough Spot
Ja Morants arrival has put Portland fans in an awkward but familiar place: the kind of spot where talent and baggage show up together, and the long view suddenly matters as much as the short one. Morants career has already been shaped by off-court issues, suspensions and injuries, and those setbacks have taken a toll on both his production and the way the market has valued him.
For the Trail Blazers, the appeal is obvious. A player with Morants ceiling can change the direction of a franchise, and a fresh start gives him a chance to rebuild trust on and off the floor. The uncertainty is just as obvious, though, because what happens next depends on whether this new chapter becomes a reset or just another stop in a career that has been hard to pin down. [Read more 🡒]