Sports
NBA Rumors: 76ers Eye Jrue Holiday After Damian Lillard Trade amid James Harden Buzz – Bleacher Report
The Eastern Conference has a handful of legitimate contenders, and one of them may add Jrue Holiday before the offseason ends.
According to Kyle Neubeck of PHLY Sports, the Philadelphia 76ers “are interested” in Holiday following Wednesday’s league-altering trade.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported the Milwaukee Bucks traded Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers as part of the three-team deal that brought Damian Lillard to Milwaukee. Portland also landed Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara and draft capital, while the Phoenix Suns ended up with Jusuf Nurkić, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson.
Wojnarowski also reported that the Trail Blazers would like to “immediately engage contending teams on trade talks” involving Holiday since they are in rebuilding mode and the 33-year-old does not match up with their timeline.
He would match up with Philadelphia’s.
Perhaps a trade for Holiday could help the 76ers move on from James Harden, who requested a trade and publicly criticized president of basketball operations Daryl Morey this offseason. Moving on from the constant headlines Harden generates would help the team shift its focus toward competing for a championship.
Holiday is also a veteran player with championship experience and could help a 76ers team built around reigning league MVP Joel Embiid take the next step after falling short in the playoffs in recent years.
The combination of Embiid, Holiday and Tyrese Maxey would be difficult for opponents to match up with and would give Philadelphia playmakers at point guard, on the wing and down low.
Holiday is also an elite defender, which would be a welcome development after watching Harden on that end of the floor. His resume includes five All-Defensive selections, and he is also consistently tasked with defending the opponent’s best ball-handler.
Philadelphia will need an elite perimeter defender to deal with the likes of Lillard and other guards in the Eastern Conference title race, and Holiday would provide it with just that.
