NBA rumors: Giannis involvement in Dame trade, Jrue return for Blazers, Lakers get another bargain
- The Lakers continue to attract players on cheap offers
- What the Blazers are expected to get back for trading Jrue Holiday
- Bucks GM did not clear Damian Lillard trade with Giannis
By Josh Wilson
Jrue Holiday will net the Blazers a foundational return
The Portland Trail Blazers remain the central figures in NBA rumors, and are getting interest in their newly-acquired star Jrue Holiday from the Clippers, Sixers, and Celtics already, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN's comments on Get Up Thursday morning. As you can expect, a bidding war with that many interesting parties right away figures to be one that gets the price pushed high.
The Blazers, ultimately, are expected to land multiple picks and possibly also a young player on a rookie deal in a forthcoming Holiday trade, which Wojnarowski has also added should happen very quickly. Portland probably won't even stitch "Holiday" on a Blazers jersey.
The Blazers, then, will ultimately net a huge return for Damian Lillard. Here is what they already acquired:
- Deandre Ayton (via Suns)
- Toumani Camara (via Suns)
- Jrue Holiday (via Bucks)
- 2029 1st-round pick (via Bucks)
- Two first-round pick swaps with Bucks (2028, 2030)
So, swap out Holiday for even more picks, and you can see how this trade could set Portland up to build a competitive starting lineup built around strong young players in just a few years.
Whether or not the Blazers hold onto Deandre Ayton remains an interesting thing to watch as well.