The Los Angeles Lakers could come out as big winners of the Damian Lillard trade saga if they can snag Jrue Holiday.
The Damian Lillard trade drama came to a close last night with Lillard being moved to the Milwaukee Bucks in a three-team trade. The deal included the Suns sending Deandre Ayton for Jusuf Nurkic and a gaggle of role-players, but the biggest moving piece not named Dame was Jrue Holiday, who is an out-of-place veteran on a young Blazers squad.
With the Blazers needing to move Jrue to keep guard space open for Scoot Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe to develop, they’ll be fielding offers from teams around the league. But there is one team that should do everything they can to get their hands on Holiday to complete their title-contending roster, and that’s the Lakers.
Trade Details
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: D’Angelo Russell, Gabe Vincent, Taurean Prince, 2029 First-Round Pick (LAL)
Los Angeles Lakers Receive: Jrue Holiday
Even if it may seem expensive, there are contending teams with draft assets that are lining up massive offers to get Holiday for the major swing he provides. He was an All-Star last season and is the best two-way guard in the league, so the price for him can be hefty and worth it.
The Blazers Add More Assets To A Rebuilding Roster
The Blazers have officially begun their rebuild with the Lillard trade. There really isn’t any use for any additional players on the Blazers roster unless they’re tradeable assets. All the players the Lakers are sending can easily be turned into a larger net value than Holiday alone right now.
D’Lo could go for a pick to a contender on his affordable contract while Prince and Vincent will also be coveted players for a winning team. This allows Portland to keep cycling assets in and out to get the maximum value possible after losing their franchise star.
Russell averaged 17.9 points and 6.6 assists last season and can add a scoring punch to any team in the league. Vincent averaged 9.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 2.5 assists, playing a crucial role in the Heat’s run to the Finals. Prince was a crucial contributor to the Timberwolves last season as they made the playoffs, averaging 9.1 points and 2.4 rebounds.
The 2029 first-round pick from the Lakers could be arguably the most valuable pick any team can offer given the long-term uncertainty for LA. LeBron James will be long retired while Anthony Davis will be one year removed from the gargantuan contract extension he signed this summer.
The Lakers Go All-In For A Guard Who Fits
The last time the Lakers decided to trade depth for a star, it was for Russell Westbrook and it backfired immediately. But Westbrook hadn’t really shown he could be a winning player within a larger system. Holiday is the definition of a player like that. He will do the dirty stuff, he will score when required to, and he will always be ready to guard the toughest player on the opposing team. Even with his age, Holiday would provide tremendous value to the Lakers.
Rob Pelinka has put together a defense-first squad but still hasn’t addressed their need for a guard-stopper. Gabe Vincent could do a job in that role but he isn’t as polished as Holiday. Jrue averaged 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 7.4 assists last season and was named an All-Star. With LeBron James and Anthony Davis, Jrue will be the perfect connector for the entire squad as their point guard and tone-setter on defense.
Holiday and Davis would be a disgustingly powerful defensive tandem that Darvin Ham would love. Ham already coached Holiday on the Bucks and will already know how to maximize him given their shared experience of the 2021 championship run.
The Lakers Become The Best On-Paper Team In The West
The Lakers will have to wait until the first week of October for their players to become trade-eligible, but if they pull this off before the season starts, they’re easily going to be favorites. This acquisition would easily be a bigger difference-maker than anyone the Nuggets brought in this summer and could be the perfect piece to shut down the incredible Suns offense. As other teams go all-in on offense, it seems the Lakers’ strategy of trusting defense will pay off.
It is hard to find any team that would be able to consistently get buckets on the Lakers. They were good defensively even without the perfect roster but adding Holiday would literally make the roster a defensive coach’s dream. It would also give aging LeBron James a ball-handler he can trust who will take pressure off him on both ends of the court.
All that this team needs for a title run is some good health and backup wing play, which can be addressed by signing even someone like T.J. Warren. If all the pieces fall into place, we may see banner No. 18 heading to the Crypto.com Arena.
