NBA Rumors: Nuggets Considered As ‘Strong Threat’ To Acquire Jrue Holiday This Offseason

New Orleans Pelicans point guard Jrue Holiday is expected to be one of the most coveted players on the trade market this offseason. With the team set to focus on the development of their young players, most people believe the Pelicans would trade Holiday for assets that could help them speed up the rebuilding process. In recent months, several teams that are in dire need of a backcourt boost and additional star power have already been linked to the veteran point guard, including the Denver Nuggets.

In a Twitter post, Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated revealed that several league executives are considering the Nuggets as a “strong threat” to land the guard this fall.

“Jrue Holiday continues to generate significant league-wide interest, with several teams attempting to get into the top-ten to acquire a pick needed to deal for Holiday. Several team execs say the Nuggets, armed with young talent to trade, are a strong threat.”

It’s not a surprise that the Nuggets are very interested in adding Holiday to their roster. Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray may have already blossomed into dependable stars, but the Nuggets obviously need more star power in order to have a realistic chance of fully dominating the loaded Western Conference and winning the NBA championship title next year. Holiday may not be on the same level as Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving, but he would still be an incredible addition to Denver.

The successful acquisition of Holiday would boost the Nuggets’ performance on both ends of the floor, giving them a very reliable third scoring option, playmaker, perimeter defender, and floor-spacer. Last season, the 30-year-old floor general averaged 19.1 points, 4.8 rebounds, 6.7 assists, and 1.6 steals while shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc, per ESPN. He and Murray may be playing similar positions, but they likely won’t have a problem sharing the backcourt in Denver.

Holiday has proven on numerous occasions that he’s capable of playing efficiently at the shooting guard position, and he could also excel in an off-ball capacity. If they build good chemistry, Holiday and Murray could form one of the strongest backcourts in the league next season.

To acquire Holiday, Tyler Conway of Bleacher Report suggested that the Nuggets could offer a package that includes Gary Harris, Bol Bol, PJ Dozier, and a first-round pick to New Orleans. The Pelicans would likely try to convince them to add Michael Porter Jr. in the package, but it remains a big question mark if the Nuggets are willing to part ways with the former No. 14 overall pick.