Trail Blazers Signal Intention to Keep Jrue Holiday After Morant Acquisition
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The Portland Trail Blazers are informing other NBA teams that they expect to keep veteran guard Jrue Holiday even after last week’s trade for Ja Morant, according to reporting by Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
Holiday, a two-time All-Star, is widely viewed around the league as Portland’s most movable high-salary player following the departure of Jerami Grant. Nonetheless, team officials have maintained that dealing Holiday is not currently under consideration, the report states. Observers note the stance could still shift as the offseason progresses.
Four Point Guards, No Rush to Trim the Rotation
Portland now lists four primary ball-handlers—Morant, Holiday, Scoot Henderson and Damian Lillard—but does not feel compelled to trade any of them, Jason Quick of The Athletic reports. Team decision-makers believe Holiday can share the floor at shooting guard and even small forward, reducing overlap at the position.
Quick adds that additional roster shuffling remains likely. Forward Deni Avdija served as the club’s main offensive initiator last season, and the backcourt also includes Shaedon Sharpe, creating a crowded perimeter group.
Donovan Clingan Off Limits; Robert Williams Expected to Test Market
One player not expected to move is rookie center Donovan Clingan. A source told Quick the 2024 lottery pick is “essentially untouchable” in trade conversations. The Blazers viewed acquiring Morant from Memphis for Grant and Kris Murray as an easy decision, Quick writes.
Portland is seeking help at center and power forward, partly because veteran big man Robert Williams is likely to leave in free agency. According to Quick, Williams is looking for a contract worth about $15 million per year.
Local Criticism of the Morant Deal
Columnist Bill Oram of The Oregonian labeled the Morant trade “a disaster,” calling the 26-year-old guard “impetuous and unreliable” and likening his arrival to the franchise’s early-2000s “Jail Blazers” era. Oram questioned Morant’s fit on and off the court after several injury-marred seasons.
The Trail Blazers have not publicly responded to the criticism as they head into the remainder of the offseason with multiple roster decisions still on the table.
Source: Hoops Rumors
