[Saba Sports News] Jrue Holiday, a three-time All-Defensive Team member, found himself included in the Milwaukee Bucks’ major trade for star guard Damian Lillard.
In a multi-team deal, Holiday is now bound for the Portland Trail Blazers along with other assets. This situation drew sympathy from NBA fans, as it was particularly harsh timing for Holiday. He had recently expressed his desire to retire in Milwaukee in an interview at the beginning of the week. Instead of spending the rest of his career with the Bucks, Holiday had barely spent another 24 hours with them.
Online, there was a mix of sympathy and memes circulating about Holiday. In Milwaukee, the 33-year-old had been a key contributor, excelling as the team’s top perimeter defender, shouldering a significant offensive load to support Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, and maintaining an exemplary presence in the locker room (earning multiple NBA Teammate of the Year Awards with the Bucks). It’s safe to say that Holiday played a crucial role in the Bucks winning the 2021 NBA title.
The silver lining for Holiday is that he may still have the opportunity to compete elsewhere. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Blazers are expected to engage with contending teams in trade discussions to move Holiday. However, the abrupt trade by the Bucks, coming just hours after Holiday’s expression of loyalty to Milwaukee, underscores the unforgiving nature of the NBA.