Though it's a good problem to have, the Portland Trail Blazers do have a Jrue Holiday problem on their hands this summer. Holiday has increased his value around the league following a bounce-back season. The Blazers acquired him with the intention of keeping him this time around, but they are also expected to receive trade interest from teams around the league this offseason.
So what should Portland do with Jrue Holiday this summer?
If Tom Dundon and the Blazers want to go star hunting this summer, keeping Holiday around as a win-now piece makes perfect sense. But should they decide to take the roster in the opposite direction, Portland needs to at least see what future assets they can get for Holiday, selling high on a talented but expensive veteran who is only getting older.
One surprisingly good fit for a trade partner is the Toronto Raptors.
The Raptors have a few bad contracts they should look to dump, particularly those of Immanuel Quickley and Jakob Poeltl. Toronto could very well be stuck with the latter, even if they were to attach draft picks as an incentive. But Quickley is the exact piece Portland should consider flipping Holiday for, assuming they can pick up draft capital in the process.
Here's what a potential trade could look like:
Quickley is set to make $32.5 million annually over the next three seasons, which is only slightly less than what Holiday makes over the next two years. Financially, another one-for-one swap involving Holiday works perfectly. Could it be as simple as swapping guards yet again?
Why a Jrue Holiday-Immanuel Quickley swap makes sense
Because Quickley is overpaid by roughly $20 million, it could require the Raptors to use their No. 19 overall selection. That's fair value for a Blazers team that should be looking to buy into the draft after losing their lottery-protected pick to the Chicago Bulls.
In some ways, Toronto is the Eastern Conference version of Portland. They have similar roster construction, with an identity built around length and athleticism. They even had similar win totals: the Raptors finished as the five seed at 46-36, and the Blazers finished seventh at 42-40.
But with those strengths of having such a defensive-minded unit come its flaws on the offensive end. If it weren't for Holiday's playmaking, shooting, and shot creation, the Blazers' offense absolutely would've collapsed this season. It was the perfect fit, as Holiday kept their offense afloat without stunting the development of their youth.
His versatility and unselfish play allowed Holiday to play off-ball and take a back seat when necessary, paving the way for career seasons from Deni Avdija and Shaedon Sharpe. The Raptors need a similar veteran presence in the backcourt, steadying the ship while letting Scottie Barnes still be the captain of said ship.
Ultimately, it depends on what direction Portland wants to take its roster this summer. But they need to pick a lane to prevent being stuck in no man's land, even if it means taking a step back to be better positioned for the future. Adding a mid-first round pick in a deep class could be just the move.
Quickley may be overpaid, but he'd still help Portland's offense in key areas and fit in well with their timeline at 26 years old. They'd essentially have a $32.5 million guard on the books for one more season compared to Holiday, which could be worthwhile in this scenario.
It's potentially a win-win trade worth exploring for both teams, with the Raptors looking to win now and the Blazers needing to commit to one of their two roster timelines.
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