After botched attempt at Damian Lillard trade, Heat, Raptors, Celtics among teams coveting Jrue Holiday

The Milwaukee Bucks traded guard Jrue Holiday to the Portland Trail Blazers to win the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. With Lillard now unavailable, other teams are now reported to be showing interest in Holiday, a player known for his two-way skills.

The complete details of the blockbuster are as follows: the Milwaukee Bucks acquired Lillard, the Portland Trail Blazers received Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara, the Bucks' 2029 first-round pick and the Bucks' draft swaps in 2028 and 2030, while the Phoenix Suns obtained Jusuf Nurkic, Nassir Little, Keon Johnson and Grayson Allen.

According to NBA insider Shams Charania, Holiday is anticipated to attract more attention in the trade market.

“You look at teams that were interested in Lillard: Miami, Toronto, Boston, those are among the teams I’d expect to be suitors for Jrue Holiday,” he said.

Charania said Holiday, who posted 19.3 points, 5.1 rebounds and 7.4 assists per game last season, isn’t expected to suit up for the Trail Blazers.

“Portland is going to be active over the next several days...to find a new landing spot, rerouting Jrue Holiday to another team,” he said.

Holiday has a $37.3 million player option for the 2024-25 season.

Holiday is undeniably an appealing player due to his consistent ability to contribute on both ends of the court. He has the capability to heat up during specific matchups and effectively defend the opposing team's top perimeter player in playoff situations.

The Sixers are also interested in Jrue Holiday

Aside from the aforementioned Eastern Conference contenders, the Philadelphia 76ers are also interested in re-acquiring Holiday, whom they drafted in 2009.

According to Sixers beat writer Kyle Neubeck, Philadelphia is exploring options to acquire Holiday.

"Will obviously be a robust market for him, but Philadelphia expected to see what it'll take to re-route him," Neubeck said.

Certainly, the inclusion of Holiday would be a significant boost to the Sixers, especially if they end up losing star guard James Harden, who has previously requested a trade. Holiday has the potential to address gaps in the team, particularly in playoff scenarios, where they often struggle against opponents with standout wings and guards.

It's only fitting that Eastern Conference teams who missed out on acquiring Lillard should consider inquiring about Holiday's availability. This move bolsters the Eastern Conference with yet another strong contender in the Bucks, who also have Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton.