Jrue Holiday still appears to have a seat at the table in Portland.
The Portland Trail Blazers are not looking to buy out their veteran guard Holiday, longtime NBA writer Marc Stein reported to Substack this week. Stein adds that the Blazers have also rebuffed trade inquiries for Holiday to this point of the offseason.
Holiday, a two-time All-Star and a six-time All-Defensive selection, arrived in Portland via the 2025 Anfernee Simons trade with the Boston Celtics. While Holiday was initially said to be quite unhappy about getting traded to the Blazers, he became a veteran leader for the team last season and averaged quality numbers of 16.3 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 6.1 assists per game on 45/38/84 shooting splits.
But fresh questions over Holiday’s future arose earlier this summer after Portland’s blockbuster trade acquisition of Ja Morant. Meanwhile, franchise icon Damian Lillard is also set to return from his Achilles tear next season, creating a very crowded backcourt for the Blazers.
Holiday, who just turned 36, is under contract for $34.8 million next season. He holds a sizable $37.2 million player option for 2027-28 as well.
Working in Holiday’s favor is the fact that he has a unique skillset relative to the other team’s star guards thanks to his defense and his efficient shooting (46.1 percent from the field and 37.0 percent from deep for his career). While it is unclear if Holiday will be a starter for Portland next year, it sounds like he will be sticking around regardless.
