Speaking up on the “Run it Back” show, Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday spoke up about the situation with his former team, the Milwaukee Bucks. As the Bucks face criticism for the trade that swapped Holiday for Damian Lillard, Jrue says that it was a move that any team would have made at the time.
“I’ve been traded before as an All-Star from Philly to New Orleans,” said Holiday. “So it wasn’t like it was that much of a shock but I understood the business of it. On paper, that trade, adding Dame, 10 out of 10 people, who wouldn’t make that trade? That’s just how it goes, that’s how the business works and again, it’s still early in the season.”
Before joining the Celtics or the Bucks, Holiday began with the Philadelphia 76ers. After being drafted 17th overall in 2009, he rose to stardom as one of the best two-way point guards in the league. In 2013, the 76ers traded Holiday for the draft pick that turned into Nerlens Noel. After a few more years of misery, the 76ers finally stumbled on Joel Embiid and hit the jackpot.
In the meantime, Holiday was thriving with the Milwaukee Bucks. Alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jrue elevated his game and gave the Bucks the push they needed to win the title in 2021. In his final season with the Bucks, Holiday returned to All-Star status with averages of 19.3 points, 7.4 assists, and 5.1 rebounds per game on 47.9% shooting.
So when the Milwaukee Bucks parted ways with the veteran guard in the summer of 2023, it came as a shock to many fans and experts. The skills he provided on both ends were a perfect match for the Bucks but they decided to trade him away in favor of Damian Lillard. The trade, which was highly praised at the time was a risky move for the Bucks but had a high reward potential.
The idea was that the pairing of Damian Lillard and Giannis offensively would be more than enough to make up for the loss of Holiday’s defense and that they could be in play for another championship. Sadly, that reality has never materialized for the Bucks. Instead, they’ve been struggling since Lillard’s arrival, and it has only gotten worse over time.
This season, even with a full training camp under Doc Rivers, the Bucks are at an all-time low after a 1-6 start and 14th place standing in the East. Giannis and Lillard have not been great together and the Bucks are missing the defensive versatility that Jrue provided in the backcourt.
Still, Holiday doesn’t blame the Bucks for making the trade. They did what they thought was best for their team by going all-in for one of the greatest shooting guards in the modern NBA. There’s still time for things to turn around and the Bucks have no choice but to keep fighting and hope for some kind of breakthrough. Either that, or they’ll have to re-tool with an aggressive roster overhaul.
Holiday didn’t ask to be traded, but it all worked out for him given that he’s currently attempting to win back-to-back championships with the Celtics. If Milwaukee doesn’t have some kind of bounce-back moment soon, things could get downright ugly over there as the Greek Freak himself reconsiders his loyalty to the franchise.
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