The New Orleans Pelicans have agreed to re-sign unrestricted free agent point guard Jrue Holiday to a contract worth $126 million over five years. The contract cannot officially be signed until the end of the NBA’s moratorium period on July 6th.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news on Saturday morning:
Free agent guard Jrue Holiday has reached agreement on 5-year, $126M deal to stay with New Orleans, agent Jason Glushon tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Jrue Holiday Agrees to Re-Sign With New Orleans Pelicans
Holiday’s contract will take him through the end of the 2021-22 season. He has a player option heading into the fifth year, which would allow him to opt out and become a free agent again in the summer of 2021. Also, the contract could add up to $150 million including bonuses.
Holiday averaged 15.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game last season for the New Orleans Pelicans. Managing to put together a strong year in New Orleans, Holiday did miss the start of the 2016-17 season. His wife, Lauren Holiday, was diagnosed with a brain tumor shortly after giving birth. Stepping up to take care of his wife and newborn baby, Holiday sidelined himself for the first 12 games of the season. When the former UCLA Bruin returned, he provided the Pelicans with quality guard play. However, they still fell short of the playoffs, finishing 10th in the Western Conference.
This trade proves the Pelicans are going all in with their newly formed duo of DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis in the frontcourt. Holiday is now solidified as a major part of their core moving forwards. If the Pelicans don’t make the playoffs next season, it will likely be viewed as a disappointment.
Holiday is heading into his ninth season in the league, during which he’ll be 27 years old. Until this point, he’s played for just two teams. After the Philadelphia 76ers drafted Holiday 17th overall in 2009, he was traded to New Orleans as a part of the Nerlens Noel deal in 2013.
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