Should Knicks trade for Jrue Holiday, and what kind of package could it take?

The Portland Trailblazers are reportedly looking to flip Jrue Holiday, their big prize from the Damian Lillard trade, to net further assets and draft capital for their newly launched rebuild.

Holiday is one of the league’s best defenders, a core member of the former Bucks big three that won a championship in 2021, and made the All-Star team last year — a compelling resume to the Knicks.

New York’s deep chest of picks and prospects has made them an active potential buyer for the last couple of years, though they’ve yet to follow through on a trade for a star to this point. Could Holiday be the guy they start spending for, and should he be?

Before we dive into his skills and fit, it’s important to note that Holiday won’t be an easy player to trade for.

He’s earning $35 million this season, and the Knicks will have to match that incoming salary, without the ability to package him with somebody else.

That leaves them with a few potential packages. Two of them involve dealing Julius Randle or RJ Barrett, which should both be off the table.

The alternatives are packaging one of their centers with Evan Fournier. If it’s Mitchell Robinson, the trade clears, but Isaiah Hartenstein makes less, and would require throwing in Quentin Grimes or Immanuel Quickley.

If Portland holds onto Holiday into the regular season, the Knicks would get a chance to include Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo with Fournier instead. Unfortunately, the rumors suggest a quick turnaround on a Holiday deal.

New York would have to throw a couple of first-round picks, if not more, on top as well. So is Holiday worth dealing your starting center or one of your prized prospects?

As mentioned, his defense is one-of-one. He’s one of the most versatile and impactful defenders of the last decade, with iconic playoff moments on that end of the court in each of his postseason appearances before 2023.

Folks will point to Grimes’ positive presence on that end, but there are levels, and Holiday is elite. He can switch onto nearly anybody, cause havoc on and off the ball, and would immediately become the team’s best defender.

The combination with Tom Thibodeau is even more dreamlike perfect than Hart’s. He’s also generally a physical player and strong rebounder for his size.

He’s no slouch offensively, either, averaging 19.3 points and 7.4 assists on 54.2 percent shooting on twos and 38.4 percent on threes last season. He can function as a primary but is more efficient as a secondary playmaker, is useful off the ball, and shot 39.5 percent from three over his last three seasons.

There are some drawbacks, though.

His scoring repeatedly falls off a cliff in the playoffs, he’s 33 years old, and the fit is a mixed bag.

While Holiday would be a great defensive complement to Jalen Brunson, on offense he’s yet another methodical self-creator, and not the purest of shooters or quickest of ball movers. One ball between him and the big three will be a challenge, though it’s possible he could smoothly transition into more of an off-ball player in these later stages of his career.

The kicker is the Knicks should have enough left after acquiring Holiday to then jump at the big star who fully propels them into contention. Holiday himself won’t, but as an upgrade in his own right is worth exploring.

Having to deal a key prospect would certainly hurt, and if there’s some cap magic to getting around that, the Knicks have a much more interesting case. The impact Hart had on last year’s team wouldn’t amount to what Holiday brings, not just defensively but in his poise and three-level scoring.

His playoff resume may scare some teams off, but the Knicks have dealt with plenty of failures on this very roster on that stage. Holiday also had strong series against the Heat and Hawks during that championship run, plus two huge performances in the NBA Finals.

He’s about as winning a player as it gets, which makes him a natural target for the Knicks. Maybe he doesn’t turn them into conference favorites overnight, but there’s a reason every contender is pursuing him.

Maybe it’s better to trust the development of Quickley and Grimes. Holiday “isn’t on their timeline,” but teams can’t hold together forever, and championship chances vanish as quickly as they appear.

The Knicks will likely strongly consider a Holiday deal, as they should. It’s not an easy decision, and comes with questions, but sometimes in the NBA the talent speaks for itself.