11:22am: Chris Kirschner of The Athletic (Twitter link) provides a conflicting report on Holiday, citing multiple sources who say that Atlanta isn’t currently a possible trade destination for the Pelicans guard.
10:32am: The Hawks are emerging as a potential trade destination for Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday, reports Marc Stein of The New York Times (Twitter link). Both Stein and Rick Bonnell of The Charlotte Observer (Twitter link) suggest that a three-team structure is a possibility for a Holiday deal.
According to Stein, the expectation is that the No. 6 pick in next week’s draft would be involved if the Hawks are able to make a move for Holiday. A previous report indicated that New Orleans is among the teams expressing interest in that selection, along with Minnesota and Boston.
The Hawks are an intriguing suitor for an impact player like Holiday, who would be a good fit alongside up-and-coming star Trae Young. Atlanta badly wants to make the postseason in 2021 and is focusing on adding veteran talent rather than another young prospect, making that No. 6 pick expendable.
Additionally, no team projects to have more cap room available this fall, which means the Hawks could theoretically absorb a salary like Holiday’s ($26.2MM) without sending out any money in return. That could be appealing if New Orleans or another potential trade partner wants to cut costs.
While the Hawks are emerging as a viable suitor for Holiday, they’ll face plenty of competition for the veteran guard, who is one of the few big names expected to be available via trade this offseason. A previous report indicated that the Pelicans are “openly discussing” Holiday, while another report said about 10 clubs had already inquired on him. The Nuggets and Nets are considered likely to be among his most aggressive suitors.
Holiday, 30, is coming off a 2019/20 season in which he averaged 19.1 PPG, 6.7 APG, 4.8 RPG, and 1.6 SPG with a shooting line of .455/.353/.709 in 61 games (34.7 MPG) for the Pelicans. Although he didn’t earn a spot on one of this season’s All-Defensive teams, he has done so twice in the past and is widely considered one of the NBA’s best perimeter defenders. He holds a $27.1MM player option for 2021/22, giving him an opportunity to reach free agency next year.
Hawks should spend the $40m cap to overpay VanVleet and Ibaka first then make good trades
Why? Seriously,why!
Why spend money on FVV with Trae there? Jrue is a tremendously better fit next to Young.
Why spend big money on Serge when Capela and Collins are there?
Are you a troll? Have we all expended far too much energy responding to your posts thinking that you are actually being serious?
If he is a troll…he is the best.
Do you have a Twitter account? Would love to follow it.
I have long thought the Hawks were the best landing spot for Holiday. And it would be rather poetic for the Hornets to acquire the #6 pick and change for him since that’s exactly what they sent out for him back in 2013. The 6 + either Huerter or Reddish for Holiday makes sense for both teams.
The Hawks would much rather give up Huerter than Reddish.
I think Huerter would be a better match, but he also doesn’t have the upside of Reddish. Atlanta might have to add a third piece with Huerter. Maybe a future lotto protected first in 2023 or 2024 when the Hawks are likely to be good.
But i believe nola want reddish more than huerter.
Hope its huerter. If they keep reddish this is a done deal
If Chris Kirschner’s update is accurate, it simply means NOLA has a better offer in hand than what the Hawks have on the table.
With 10 teams inquiring during the transaction freeze, that’s hardly a surprise. But it’s not as if the Hawks are lacking the assets to put a deal together with a week til the draft.
The three team structure really makes no sense to me unless the Hawks prefer someone else to Holiday. Maybe they would prefer a Gary Harris/Will Barton/pick 22 combo from the Nuggets with the 6/Huerter/Bol going to the Pels and Holiday/Josh Hart going to Denver.
If Im the Hawks the only thing im considering when it comes to New Orleans is im trying to sign Brandon Ingram away from them
You’d probably lose your job if that was the ONLY thing you were considering. Because it is not likely to happen. Any offer sheet extended to Ingram can (and most likely will) be matched. So if that was the only thing you were considering, you wouldn’t get much done at all.