After Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Trail Blazers will look to move Jrue Holiday, some teams have been aligning themselves toward making a move for the all-defensive player. Holiday was acquired by Portland in the trade involving Damian Lillard.
Holiday isn't what he used to be due to age and injuries which means that his trade value will not be as large as it would have been a few years ago. Still, several teams in the Eastern Conference (minus the Bucks obviously) will most likely be finding themselves in a battle for Holiday's services.
Teams that need to trade for Jrue Holiday: 3. Miami Heat
It has already been reported that the Miami Heat will be interested in Jrue Holiday going forward. Obviously, the cost for Holiday will not be as much as it was for Lillard which might enable the team to move more quickly. The Heat could offer Kyle Lowry, filler and a pick to get a deal done.
They might not even have to offer Caleb Martin if they are able to add Jaime Jaquez Jr. in a deal. Jaquez could count as a draft pick so it might enable the team to only give up one another first-round pick if the Trail Blazers value the rookie. Adding Haywood Highsmith makes the deal work with the NBA salary rules and seems like a fair offer for both sides.
Holiday will probably not be able to create as much for his own scoring purposes as Lillard can but he can certainly create for others. Another positive for the Miami Heat could certainly not worry about playing defensive challenged guards with Holiday in the starting lineup with Butler.
Teams that need to trade for Jrue Holiday: 2. Philadelphia Sixers
Once the Sixers get their issues settled when it comes to James Harden, it can be assumed that they will have plenty of expiring contracts to trade. They will also have a extra first round pick or two that could be used to get a deal between the Sixers and Trail Blazers. At this point it's hard to get imagine a deal between the two sides due to the fact that the Sixers will most likely trade Harden before trading for Holiday.
Despite the Sixers most likely being focused on Harden's trade return, the Sixers need to plan for a post-Harden world. According to Kyle Neubeck, they are interested in trading for Jrue Holiday. This could be a very smart move for the squad and will help them keep Joel Embiid long-term.
Teams that need to trade for Jrue Holiday: 1. Toronto Raptors
If the Trail Blazers wait a little while before trading Jrue Holiday, then the Toronto Raptors might be a good fit. Once Dennis Schroder becomes trade-eligible, the Raptors can start to build a package for Holiday centered around Schroder, Thad Young, Otto Porter, and Gradey Dick. You can add a medium size protected first-round pick if you want but this is a deal that makes sense for both sides.
The Trail Blazers would be able to get another young guard to fill out their bench, Schroder who could easily be turned into a second-round pick if traded to another team, and expiring contracts. The Raptors would have a starting-level point guard who would service their team without jeopardizing their entire future. For a team that wants to seem to wants to win-now without going all-in, this could be the move for them.
