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“Why Portland's trade for Jrue Holiday is better than you think:

The Blazers had a top five defensive rating after the All-Star Break. In the short term, Jrue Holiday can help them take another step forward and he is a way better fit next to the core pieces on the roster.

This season, if Holiday has a bounce back year, his value increases way beyond what they gave up: a poor-fitting guard on an expiring deal in Anfernee Simons, plus two distant seconds. So, maybe they could flip Holiday before the 2026 trade deadline to a contender.

Or maybe they keep Holiday until the final year of his deal in 2027-28. At that point, he'll have a juicy $37M expiring deal that could be combined with assets to go get a star. Teams need salaries to make big trades. Jrue becomes that piece after only two seasons.

Acquiring Holiday isn't a misread of the Portland timeline. It's about the future: Turn Simons into a player who fits better now, helps facilitate development, and gives them a tradable salary when it's winning time.”

https://x.com/kevinoconnornba/status/1937361999635103972?s=61&t=obkYTPkbGlNfrGoozxL-mg