Trading for Jrue Holiday would be a lateral move for the Nuggets

While many believe that trading for Jrue Holiday is a must, the Denver Nuggets must not fall into the trap of believing he’s the answer to their championship hopes.

With American eyes glued to Electoral College maps last week, The Athletic’s Shams Charania dropped a bombshell when he reported that the New Orleans Pelicans are shopping guard Jrue Holiday.

Charania said “several contending teams” are pursuing the 11-year veteran, and if history tells us anything, the Nuggets are one of those teams.

Denver sought after the former UCLA product around last season’s trade deadline, but a deal never materialized because the Pelicans were unwilling to move Holiday at the time.

Holiday has long been seen as one of the league’s most underrated guards; at this point he’s more unheralded than underrated.

Two All-Defensive selections highlight his defensive prowess, which is the most attractive feature of his game. Holiday has the lateral quickness to defend guards, the strength to battle with forwards and his effort on the defensive end placed him second in the NBA in deflections (4.0 per game) and tied for fourth in defensive loose balls recovered (1.4).

Offensively, Holiday a crafty finisher that converted about 62.8% of his shots within three feet of the rim last season, a respectable 3-point shooter who shot 35.3% from deep on a career-high 5.7 attempts per game, and a solid decision-maker that posted a 2.3 assist-to-turnover ratio.

Adding Holiday in a deal that sends Will Barton, Gary Harris and draft picks to the Pelicans would be an undeniable boost to Denver’s defense—one that ranked last in defensive rating during the NBA restart.

That said, trading for Holiday would be a lateral move for the Nuggets.

While Barton and Harris dealt with injuries in the bubble, both players have been an integral part to Denver’s development into a certified Conference Finals contender.

After sitting for six months, Harris immediately made his presence felt on the defensive end in Games 6 and 7 of the Nuggets’ first round playoff series against the Utah Jazz, helping contain a hot Jordan Clarkson and Donovan Mitchell. Harris’ offense came around in the Western Conference semifinals, as he averaged 10.7 points a game while shooting 41.9% from three against the Los Angeles Clippers.

Barton, who didn’t manage to rehab his injury quick enough to play in the bubble, was just one of six players to average over 15 points, three assists and six rebounds while shooting 37% from three last season.

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Barton’s length, athleticism and experience has also allowed him to become one of the best perimeter defender in the Nuggets’ rotation, as his opponents shot just 38.0% from the field in isolation against him last season.

Barring any more injuries, starting the 2020-21 season with Harris and Barton would prove beneficial for Denver next season and down the line.

Statistically speaking, the last two seasons of Holiday’s career have been his best. He averaged career-highs in points and rebounds and shot well from the field, the second- and third-highest clips of his career.

However, trading for Holiday does not address a glaring need for the Nuggets—frontcourt defense.

With Paul Millsap and Torrey Craig set to become free agents, and Jerami Grant expected to decline his $9.3 million player option, Denver could potentially lose three of their best frontcourt defenders this offseason.

Grant made a case to be the Nuggets’ full-time starter at small forward next season, averaging 14.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and shooting 38.9% from three in 24 starts last season.

Denver needs to prioritize bringing back at least one of those players (particularly Grant), and assess the value of continuity for the upcoming season that tentatively starts on Dec. 22.

The truncated offseason would limit the amount of time Holiday has to find his place in Denver’s offense. An offense where Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray have solidified themselves as the 1A and 1B, and one where Michael Porter Jr. will command more touches in his second season.

Instead, Denver should retain Harris, Barton and Grant, and use their first-round pick on a prospect like Colorado forward Tyler Bey or DePaul power forward Paul Reed to strengthen their frontcourt defense while acquiring a cheap player who can grow with a star-studded, yet infantile team at the same time.

As long as Jokic and Murray are in Denver, the Nuggets are going to be title contenders. Coming off a Western Conference Finals appearance, the hype surrounding this team has reached a level the organization has not seen in years.

Nonetheless, it’s necessary for the Nuggets to remember who their opponents are: LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and potentially Joel Embiid.

Holiday may move the needle but he is not enough to turn the tide.