In a piece recently published by Marc J. Spears of Andscape, it was revealed that Jrue Holiday was "super excited" about surprisingly being traded to the Portland Trail Blazers this summer.
“Everyone was just talking about it. Nobody was really asking me about the trade,” Holiday told Spears. “Everyone was assuming I was miserable or unhappy with it. But when I got the call from [Celtics president] Brad [Stevens], I was super excited… Being able to see the roster, the type of players, and the character that they have, going to a team like that means a lot. Young or veteran team, I know that a team with good character guys will always be a good situation.”
Jrue Holiday's comments put early trade concerns to rest
After the trade happened, Steve Bulpett of Heavy Sports wrote that Holiday was reportedly "pissed" about going to Portland.
That rumor -- along with the fact that a 35-year-old Holiday didn't fit Portland's rebuilding timeline -- led many to wonder if the Blazers would ultimately flip Holiday (again). The Blazers quickly shot that down, with Sean Highkin of the Rose Garden Report noting that Portland had acquired Holiday with the intention to keep him this time around.
Now, we are finally hearing directly from Holiday that the feeling was mutual.
Both sides are happy with this partnership, and it only took Portland's four preseason games for us to understand why. During that stretch, Holiday averaged 12.3 points, 5.8 assists, and 4.0 rebounds in just 24.5 minutes per game.
Many questioned this trade for Portland because of Holiday's age, contract, and declining play. While those are all valid concerns, the fact remains that Holiday is still a solid starting guard in the NBA. Statistically, he's due for a bounce-back season thanks to having an increased role in Portland's offense.
“I expect to be a little more of a role [offensively in Portland],” Holiday added. “Handle the ball a little bit more. Get people into actions. Maybe [I’ll be] more part of the offense here.”
Holiday may not be the elite two-way guard he once was, but it's also apparent that he still has some gas left in the tank. His sound playmaking, in particular, is going to be incredibly valuable for a young Blazers team that will be without Scoot Henderson (hamstring) to start the season. Portland struggled with turnovers last season and will finally have a calming veteran presence to help set the table. That's going to benefit them in both the short and long term as the Blazers continue to balance winning with youth development.