The New Orleans Pelicans’ 2019 NBA offseason won’t just be all about trading All-Star center Anthony Davis but what also comes next for the franchise. Most people believe that the Pelicans will undergo a full-scale rebuild after trading Davis, meaning that veteran point guard Jrue Holiday, who is under contract until the 2021-22 NBA season, could also on his way out of New Orleans next summer.
The 2018-19 NBA season is far from over, but there are NBA teams who are already expressing interest in acquiring Jrue Holiday from the Pelicans. According to Sean Deveney of Sporting News , some of the potential suitors of Holiday in the summer of 2019 include the Phoenix Suns, Orlando Magic, and the Chicago Bulls.
“League sources say the Suns are considered a top contender should Holiday be made available, the ideal fit for a team badly in need of a multifaceted veteran at the point. But Orlando would have interest, too, as would Chicago – though Holiday’s brother, Justin, did not have a sterling experience with the Bulls this season before being traded to the Grizzlies.”
The Suns, Magic, and the Bulls have been dealing with backcourt issues even before the 2018-19 NBA season started. After losing Brandon Knight in a deal with the Houston Rockets, the Suns have been aggressive on the trade market with the hope of finding a starting caliber point guard who could play alongside Devin Booker. It remains unknown what type of trade assets the Suns are willing to give up for Jrue Holiday, but they are loaded with trade assets that include a potential lottery pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
Anthony Davis trade rumors: Pelicans exec David Griffin indicates superstar’s time in New Orleans may not be over https://t.co/be7UkKD6lR
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Meanwhile, despite succeeding to earn a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference this season, the Magic are still expected to find ways to improve their roster next summer. Though they have former No. overall pick Markelle Fultz on their roster, the Magic will be needing help from a more experienced guard like Jrue Holiday if they want to reach a higher level in the 2019-19 NBA season. The same thing with the Chicago Bulls who are eyeing to find a replacement for the inconsistent Kris Dunn as their starting point guard.
Unfortunately for those teams, it remains unknown if the Pelicans intend on making Jrue Holiday available on the trading block in the 2019 NBA offseason. As Deveney noted, Pelicans Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin sees Holiday as a “franchise building block.” Instead of undergoing a full-scale rebuild, Griffin opened up the possibility that the Pelicans could keep Holiday and attempt a fast turnaround.