As the Portland Trail Blazers prepare for next season, they have built one of the weirdest rosters in the NBA. The Ja Morant trade came as a complete shock, creating some speculation that the Blazers could trade Jrue Holiday. But that doesn’t seem to be in their plans. In fact, a recent quote from head coach Micah Nori proves that Holiday may be exactly what Morant and the Blazers need.
When discussing his first interactions with some of the Blazers’ top players, Nori, the team’s new head coach, revealed something funny Holiday told him (via Joe Freeman of The Oregonian): “Jrue did tell me if he was on one of our Minnesota teams the last three years — any of those teams — we would have won a championship,” Nori said. “So there was that. But he was great.”
That’s the type of competitive fire the Blazers need. That’s the type of leadership Morant needs. That’s the type of player Portland fans should want on their basketball team.
Jrue Holiday is perfect for Ja Morant and the Blazers
Holiday has been one of the best veterans in the NBA for a long, long time. He helped the Milwaukee Bucks win a championship in 2021 as their lead point guard, and in 2024, he helped the Boston Celtics win a title as one of the best role players in the NBA.
But when it came time for the Celtics to cut down their roster because of the second apron, the Blazers jumped at the chance to bring Holiday into the fold. And it makes sense why.
Portland is building something special. The Blazers have a ton of young talent with plenty of veterans around them. But few know more about winning at the highest level than Holiday does.
His telling Nori that the Minnesota Timberwolves would have won at least one championship in the last three years with him on the roster is the type of confidence and leadership that every great team needs.
Morant will immediately be one of the top dogs in Portland. Alongside Deni Avdija, Damian Lillard, and Donovan Clingan, he’s a focal point of Portland’s core, and the Blazers undoubtedly want him to be a superstar.
Holiday’s presence will not only help the Blazers win at the highest level, but it should also help shape Morant into the type of player who can lead a championship-caliber basketball team.
That’s why the Blazers need to keep Holiday around. This quote is the perfect example of why.
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