The Miami Heat struck out on landing Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans. However, the Milwaukee Bucks gave up what for him?
I’d like to interrupt your regularly scheduled Miami Heat content for this breaking news, the Milwaukee Bucks have traded for Jrue Holiday. What are the Pelicans getting in return you might ask?
Oh, not much, a couple of expiring contracts and a couple of picks…wait, I’m being told the offer is bigger than that. They gave up how many first-round picks?
THREE??
For Jrue Holiday?? And George Hill and Eric Bledsoe?!
And two pick swaps? Mother of God, I need a drink.
To recap, here is the full trade:
Milwaukee Bucks get: Jrue Holiday
New Orleans Pelicans get: George Hill, Eric Bledsoe, three first-round picks, two future pick swaps
David Griffin continues to embarrass these win-now teams with these trades. Jrue Holiday is coming off an NBA All-Defensive season, but he’s on the last year of his current deal, plus Holiday is 30.
The Miami Heat were in on Jrue Holiday. Then they weren’t, as the Bucks gave up the farm to get him.
This would be a lot of compensation for any player, but it signals that Milwaukee is ready to win now and really pressuring MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign his super-max extension to remain in Milwaukee.
If Giannis promised he would stay with the Bucks if they went out and got him some help, then I can see why Milwaukee would want to do this deal. But I have to say, this looks like a massive overpay on the surface.
Hill was a crucial piece off the bench and even though Bledsoe was sporadic at times, he could still score in bunches for a Milwaukee team that led the NBA in offense last season.
Jrue does bring a ton of talent to the Milwaukee starting lineup, including being able to guard ones to threes. If Holiday can keep up the intensity from last season, the Bucks will also have a top defensive team in the Eastern Conference.
For the Pelicans, they get even more draft compensation to go along with a potential replacement for J.J. Reddick in George Hill. The only person who made a higher percentage of three-pointers last year than Reddick was…you guessed it, George Hill.
Eric Bledsoe would become a new starting guard for a really young Pelicans team that includes Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson. With him and Lonzo Ball together, neither would be locked into the one or two-man role.
Who knows where all the Pelicans draft picks will land, but this team is as set up as anyone in the NBA for the future. If they can continue to develop Brandon Ingram and Zion, then New Orleans will be in a great spot to compete for years to come.
Milwaukee still gave up too much. The Miami Heat wouldn’t have.
This, we can say with certainty.