Tier 1 – As Good As It Could Get
Jrue Holiday
The Rockets’ ideal scenario would be for Jrue Holiday to request a buyout from the Portland Trail Blazers. It’s difficult to determine the likelihood of that happening. Earlier this month, the 16-year NBA veteran pushed back against the notion he was unhappy with being traded to a rebuilding team during an interview with Andscape’s Marc J. Spears. But between Portland being more of a lottery than playoff team and the legal drama surrounding Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups, he may reconsider his stance.
If Holiday does end up requesting to be bought out, the negotiations could take a while. He has three years and $104.4 million left on his contract. Neither he nor the Trail Blazers will want to give away too much. With that being said, the beauty of the Rockets having $12.5 million to spend is that it could help offset what he may lose in the immediate future.
Of course, Holiday does appear to be a bit over the hill at this point in his career. Yet, one of the reasons the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics were willing to trade him was a perceived decline. He’s already gotten the last laugh with the Bucks, winning a championship with the Celtics in 2024. He could double over in Houston, as they only need him to do what he usually does well: facilitate, defend, and shoot.
