The Minnesota Timberwolves' front office continues its search to find an ideal partner for Anthony Edwards. Sam Amick and Eric Nehm of The Athletic recently mentioned Minnesota as a dark horse in the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes this summer, noting president Tim Connelly's aggressive mindset and their previously expressed interest in landing a superstar at February's trade deadline.
Besides Giannis, other stars Amick and Nehm name include Kevin Durant (in February) as well as Kyrie Irving and Ja Morant, adding that the Timberwolves have "yet to land a high-profile running mate for Anthony Edwards."
But what about Portland's Jrue Holiday as a potential backcourt pairing with Edwards?
Timberwolves should pair Anthony Edwards with Jrue Holiday
In Milwaukee and Boston, Holiday has proven to be the missing piece that has helped these teams finally get over the championship hump. The Timbwerowlves are a perennial playoff team, but they don't have enough firepower outside of Edwards to survive the Western Conference playoff gauntlet.
Holiday is the ideal two-way fit for Minnesota. Offensively, he's an unselfish star who will have no issue taking a backseat to Edwards initiating the majority of the offense. Defensively, his athleticism may have declined, but he remains one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, largely thanks to his versatility.
Minnesota could shake up its roster around Edwards this summer. Still, a defensive trio of Rudy Gobert, Jaden McDaniels, and Holiday would be a two-way team built for the postseason.
But should the Blazers trade Jrue Holiday?
The Blazers aren't actively shopping Holiday this offseason, but they are expected to receive incoming interest for the veteran guard after his strong season in Portland. They acquired him with the intention of keeping him this time around -- a timeline that suddenly makes more sense after their playoff appearance and Damian Lillard's return -- but that doesn't mean he's off-limits if the price is right.
Like the Wolves, the Blazers could go star hunting themselves to find a partner for Deni Avdija. But it's seeming increasingly unlikely they land the big fish (Giannis Antetokounmpo), as his player option in 2027-28 gives him leverage in picking his trade destination.
That raises questions about whether they'd have a contender ceiling if they land a different star. With that being the case, it could make sense for Portland to move in the opposite direction with its roster, turning Holiday into young assets and draft capital to better position itself for the future.
Holiday's expensive contract does complicate things financially, especially since landing Julius Randle as the salary filler would largely defeat the purpose for Portland. If they can sort the logistics, including potentially involving a third team, Portland should be interested in a package headlined by Naz Reid, Terrence Shannon Jr., and draft picks.
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