NBA Rumors: Lakers Reportedly Made Offer To Jrue Holiday Before Dennis Schroder Deal

Not long after the NBA lifted its trade moratorium on Monday, the Los Angeles Lakers made a move for Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Dennis Schroder, offering forward/guard Danny Green and this year’s 28th overall draft pick. However, the German playmaker was not the best player at his position who was involved in this year’s pre-draft trades, as Chris Paul moved from the Thunder to the Phoenix Suns and Jrue Holiday was shipped from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Milwaukee Bucks. As a new report suggests, the Lakers apparently made an offer for Holiday as well before they made the deal for Schroder.

As quoted by SB Nation‘s Silver Screen and Roll, Bleacher Report‘s Eric Pincus recently noted that the Lakers offered a similar collection of players for Holiday, but that time centered their package on forward Kyle Kuzma. He pointed out that the transaction would have represented a “significant upgrade” for New Orleans, though, in the end, the Pelicans chose to hang on to the veteran backcourt star and wait for a better offer to come along.

Regarding Kuzma’s apparent inclusion in the package for Holiday, Silver Screen and Roll further cited Pincus, who said that the Lakers are seemingly willing to make him available if a top-flight player piques their interest in the trade market. The young forward has been mentioned in numerous suggested trades in recent weeks, including one that would theoretically allow Los Angeles to land Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine.

Ultimately, the Pelicans agreed to move Holiday on Monday, with CBS Sports reporting that the Bucks acquired him for guards Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, plus three future first-round picks. Milwaukee made a separate deal for Bogdan Bogdanovic, sending reserves Donte DiVincenzo, Ersan Ilyasova, and D.J. Wilson to the Sacramento Kings in exchange for the Serbian shooting guard.

Although the Lakers failed to land Holiday, who has frequently been recognized as one of the NBA’s top defenders and a player who could contribute at both backcourt positions, CBS Sports wrote that the team’s acquisition of Schroder should help them in a number of ways in the 2020-21 season. The outlet explained that the 27-year-old has the ability to create his own offense and could also provide a strong presence off the bench, especially when LeBron James and Anthony Davis are resting.

Schroder’s arrival, in addition, could give Los Angeles a good insurance policy in the event unrestricted free agent Rajon Rondo chooses not to return to the team. And with his contract due to expire in the summer of 2021, that could provide the Lakers additional “flexibility” when it comes to making roster moves.