Every team in the league could use a player like Jrue Holiday. He's made five All-Defensive teams, earned two All-Star selections and had some iconic playoff moments. He slots in easily anywhere as a two-way player who can thrive both on the ball and off it.
Now, those teams will have their chance to make their best offer.
Holiday was moved to the Trail Blazers as part of the Damian Lillard trade, but that will only be a temporary landing spot for the rebuilding franchise. They're expected to immediately explore another trade including him, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Here are the nine destinations that make the most sense for him, and what a trade could look like.
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Jrue Holiday's contract, salary, trade rules
Holiday is on the last guaranteed year of his contract, earning $34.9 million for the 2023-24 season, and has a player option for $37.4 million in 2024-25. His deal presents two challenges.
First, because he has a relatively high salary, it is tough for some of the teams on this list to get to his number. Also, his salary cannot be aggregated in a trade for at least two months, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
Second, Holiday could potentially be a short-term rental for a team. He is eligible to sign a four-year, $223 million extension per Marks, but teams may likely want some sort of reassurance that he'd be willing to stay there long-term before giving up assets for him.
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Ranking Jrue Holiday trade destinations
9. Los Angeles Lakers
Holiday would be fantastic next to Anthony Davis and LeBron James. He would also give the Lakers much better point guard play than either D'Angelo Russell or Gabe Vincent, shoring up one of the weaker spots on the team's roster.
This trade would be hard to pull off, though. Getting to Holiday's salary figure would likely include trading Russell, who isn't eligible to be moved until after Dec. 15. Rui Hachimura would need to be added as well and has the same trade restriction.
If Holiday is still available by that time, then the Lakers could offer a package of Russell, Hachimura, their 2029 first-round pick and some pick swaps.
8. Chicago Bulls
The Bulls are one of many teams on this list where a three-way trade makes the most sense. The Blazers don't seem to have much interest in Zach LaVine and the Bulls don't have many young prospects to offer aside from Patrick Williams. (Ayo Dosunmu and Coby White have trade restrictions that prevent them from being moved until mid-season).
Alex Caruso would make sense as an option to get re-routed to a third team. Caruso has value around the league and could bring back some more draft equity. Williams, Caruso and Lonzo Ball would get the Bulls to Holiday's salary. The Bulls have Portland's heavily protected first rounder and their own 2029 pick to trade. They could open up another in 2027 if they amend the protections owed on their pick to the Spurs.
The question for the Bulls is if a Holiday trade would even be worth it at that price. Trading Williams would give them no depth at power forward and they've been extremely reluctant to move him. Would it be worth it for a marginal improvement?
7. Toronto Raptors
The Raptors were reportedly in the Damian Lillard sweepstakes. Holiday could be a good consolation prize. He gives them a better replacement for Fred VanVleet than Dennis Schroder, although he would do little to solve their offensive creation issues.
The Raptors were reportedly disinterested in trading O.G. Anunoby for Lillard, per Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun. They also seem reluctant to trade Scottie Barnes.
A combination of salary filler and young players in the form of Gary Trent Jr., Chris Boucher, Gradey Dick and Malachi Flynn would get to Holiday's salary number. The Raptors would have to throw in multiple first-round picks to beat opposing offers. They have their 2028 and 2030 picks and could open up more by amending their protections on their 2024 pick owed to the Spurs.
6. Golden State Warriors
Chris Paul's lack of size makes it a problem playing him alongside Stephen Curry from a defensive standpoint. Holiday would be a better fit and work much more easily as a switch defender.
The Warriors have Jonathan Kuminga, Moses Moody and first-round pick Brandin Podziemski to offer the Blazers. They also have a 2028 first-round pick and could open up their 2026 pick if they amended the protections on their pick owed to the Celtics.
Paul, Moody and Podziemski could get the Warriors to Holiday's salary number. Their unprotected 2028 pick and some pick swaps probably wouldn't be the best offer out there, making this a challenging trade to get done.
5. LA Clippers
The Clippers have two very valuable first-round picks available for trade in 2028 and 2030 when Paul George and Kawhi Leonard will likely be off the team.
The Clippers have been reticent to trade 26-year-old Terance Mann, but Holiday would obviously be a big upgrade there. If they didn't try to rope in the Sixers on a three-way deal, Mann, some combination of expiring contracts in the form of Marcus Morris and Robert Covington, plus some level of protection on those first-round picks would be an enticing trade.
4. Boston Celtics
Malcolm Brogdon is a question mark for the Celtics, given his inclusion in trade demands and a lingering elbow injury. Holiday could replace some of what they lost by trading Marcus Smart and keep them at pace with the Bucks.
Brogdon and Robert Williams could help the Celtics get to Holiday's salary number, but Williams' fit in Portland would be a bit awkward given the recent acquisition of Deandre Ayton. Horford is another option in lieu of Williams for salary purposes.
This makes the most sense as another three-team trade, with the Celtics sending two picks along the way and the Blazers hoping that they could flip the Celtics' veterans to another team.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
The Sixers have already been rumored to show interest in Holiday, per Kyle Neubeck of PHLY. James Harden trade talks have stalled, and Holiday could be a good replacement for him. Their salaries are within $1 million of each other, making salary matching easy to do.
Harden makes less sense on the Blazers than Lillard, so any sort of deal would have to be a three-team trade. Could Harden get re-routed to the Clippers, as he so desperately desires?
The Sixers have a first-round pick that they could include in any sort of deal. The Clippers could also throw in picks if needed. They have plenty of expiring contracts as well.
2. New York Knicks
The Knicks make a lot of sense for Holiday. They could use a good defensive guard to put next to Jalen Brunson, and Holiday would make them less reliant on the isolations that were their downfall in the playoffs. Holiday's career 36.6 percent from 3 could help spread the floor when Julius Randle and Brunson do go to work one-on-one.
RJ Barrett and Isaiah Hartenstein would be the matching salary needed to get to Holiday's number. The Knicks have an excess of future first-round picks that they could throw into the deal. Two protected picks and those players would comprise a strong package.
Moving Hartenstein would leave the team thin on their center rotation, but Holiday would allow them to vault to the third-best team in the East with assets to keep on improving.
1. Miami Heat
The Heat still need to make a move if they want to get back to the Finals. They are well behind the Celtics and Bucks on paper. Free agent pickup Josh Richardson isn't enough to replace the losses of Max Strus and Gabe Vincent in free agency.
Holiday and Butler would give opposing guards nightmares. Add Bam Adebayo to the mix and they should be an elite defense. Holiday could help alleviate some of their offensive creation problems as well. He struggled as the second guy for the Bucks last season but could thrive as a third scorer behind Butler and Tyler Herro.
The Heat could ironically offer a similar package to the one the Blazers turned down for Lillard. Kyle Lowry, Nikola Jovic and Jaime Jaquez Jr. are enough to match Holiday's salary. The Heat also have multiple firsts that they could throw in.
