Jrue Holiday essentially asked the Pelicans for a big deal quickly, and they appeared set to deliver.
So, Holiday will return to New Orleans.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN:
Free agent guard Jrue Holiday has reached agreement on 5-year, $126M deal to stay with New Orleans, agent Jason Glushon tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Deal includes bonuses that could move package to $150M, and a player option on 5th year. https://t.co/COZVP62K7g
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 1, 2017
Holiday’s max over five years is $172,421,820. So, at least New Orleans came in under that.
At any price, the Pelicans almost had to keep him. They enter a win-now year with general manager Dell Demps seemingly on the hot seat and DeMarcus Cousins on an expiring contract. New Orleans had no mechanism to adequately replace Holiday, whose Bird Rights allowed the Pelicans to pay him.
Holiday is good and just 27. He could live up to this deal. Of course, his injury history and stagnation in the salary cap could turn it into an albatross.
The odds of this working out aren’t ideal, but neither is the Pelicans’ situation. At this point, losing Holiday would’ve been worse for all involved. So, they ponied up to keep him.
