National Basketball Association

Should the Utah Jazz pursue Jrue Holiday?

Published May. 19, 2015 10:06 a.m. ET

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The Utah Jazz have two quality, young point guards in Dante Exum and Trey Burke. Exum still has a world of potential to realize, and if he ever does, could be one of the best point guards in the league. While Burke doesn't have Exum's potential, he showed the ability to be one of the best back up points in the NBA, which is no small thing by any measure. Yet, neither of these guards are starters on playoff teams, at least not for a few more years. Since the Jazz want to make the playoffs next year, would they be better served by also trading for a starting-caliber point guard, like Jrue Holiday? Or would doing so hinder the development of both Burke and Exum? Ben Dowsett of Salt City Hoops thinks it could work.

"A guy like Holiday is a risk to some degree with his health and the years left on his deal, and a true ascension from Dante could render him an expensive backup for some period of time. But the opposite end of the spectrum, the one where Holiday serves as a better insurance policy than Burke for a guy in Exum who has a huge number of boxes still left to check off, seems much more likely."

This is all speculation, and Dowsett says as much. But it's interesting nonetheless. The common thought is that either a team is rebuilding/developing or contending for at least the playoffs. Why can't it be both? Holiday only has two years left on his deal, so it's not as if the Jazz would be tied to him when they'd most need the cap space. Moreover, Holiday would be a great defensive tutor for Burke and Exum, both of whom need serious lessons on that end. This likely won't happen, but it'd be one of the more intriguing trades if it did.

(h/t Salt City Hoops)

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