NBA Trade Deadline 2020: One trade every team should make

Denver Nuggets: Gary Harris, Jerami Grant and own top-8 protected 2023 first-rounder for the New Orleans Pelicans’ Jrue Holiday and Kenrich Williams

Reason for Denver: The Nuggets would lose some talented players in this trade, but they would step into the upper echelon of contenders. Jrue Holiday is that good. Gary Harris has been an elite defender all year, but Holiday is better and more versatile. Harris and Grant are both good but streaky shooters, and Holiday isn’t one of the best shooters in the league, but he would be an improvement. He would also give the team its best on-ball option at the guard spot. His chemistry with Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray would be fantastic to watch. The Nuggets would be far more threatening in the playoffs, where Holiday has proven he’s an elite contributor. The Nuggets would pay a steep price, but that’s what championship contention costs.

Reason for New Orleans: Everyone wants Holiday, and the Pelicans, if they decide to sell him, will have their pick of the litter. A package including a valuable draft asset and two young contributors would be among the best options. Harris is already an excellent player with the potential to grow into more as he takes more on-ball reps, especially for a team that can live with a few mistakes in the name of development. The Pelicans have a glut of guards, but Harris would probably be the best young option on the team, already ahead of Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Grant is an athletic big who can defend almost anyone and shoot on the other end, and he would complement Zion Williamson or Jaxson Hayes quite well. Neither Harris nor Grant is overpaid, and both are on contracts for multiple years. Those players plus a first-rounder is a veritable treasure trove.