Halo

With little choice but to build for the future, the New Orleans Pelicans may be tempted to trade point guard Jrue Holiday in order to surround Anthony Davis with a stronger supporting cast.

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76ers Reportedly Pursuing Holiday Trade

Monday, Feb. 6

RealGM's Keith Smith reported Monday the Philadelphia 76ers are inquiring about a possible deal that would see Holiday return to the City of Brotherly Love.

Holiday missed the Pelicans' first 12 games while his wife, former United States women's national soccer team star Lauren Holiday, recovered from brain surgery.

The 26-year-old guard has played well since debuting in New Orleans' 113-101 win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Nov. 18. He's averaging 15.6 points and 7.4 assists per night and shooting a career-high 39.4 percent from three-point range.



USA Today's Sam Amick also reported Monday the Sixers and Pelicans are in discussions about a Jahlil Okafor trade. Amick's report didn't include Holiday in the negotiations, with Philadelphia instead targeting New Orleans' first-round pick. Smith tweeted the Pelicans are determined to keep Holiday and would look to send the first-rounder and veteran big man Alexis Ajinca to the Sixers for Okafor.

Trading Holiday would seemingly be the last thing the Pelicans need to do.

General manager Dell Demps has failed to give Davis enough support. As a result, New Orleans has made one playoff appearance in Davis' first four years—a run that will likely stretch to one in five at the conclusion of the 2016-17 campaign.

While dealing Holiday would net the Pelicans a high draft pick or two, the team can't afford to jettison a productive veteran, especially as Holiday is finally healthy. It would send the message the Pelicans have abandoned any hope of competing in the short term and further demoralize the fanbase.

The threat of Holiday leaving in free agency looms, but the Pelicans are better off retaining his Bird rights and hoping they can re-sign him this summer.

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