Sources: Jrue Holiday 'is a name to monitor' for the Lakers

Yahoo

5 days ago

The Los Angeles Lakers took another step forward toward possibly fielding a championship-caliber team this coming season by snagging veteran guard Marcus Smart on Saturday. Smart, who won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022, agreed to a buyout of his contract with the Washington Wizards and quickly agreed to join the Lakers on a two-year, $11 million deal that he can officially sign once he clears waivers.
But one cannot safely assume the Lakers are done making moves this summer. They could still use a true 3-and-D guard or wing, and as great a defender Smart has been, he's not a 3-and-D player, as he's always been an anemic 3-point shooter.
Per Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com, the Portland Trail Blazers' Jrue Holiday, another veteran guard known for his defense, "is a name to monitor" as far as L.A. is concerned.
"Multiple sources recently told FastbreakJournal.com that Holiday is a name to monitor, particularly as a potential target for the Los Angeles Lakers," Afseth wrote.
"That's not to say active conversations are taking place, but his name continues to surface in NBA circles as the team evaluates options to add more talent around LeBron James and Luka Doncic. Other teams are monitoring the situation, though the Lakers are widely viewed as one of the most natural fits if Portland explores a deal."
Holiday has been named to one of the NBA's All-Defensive teams six times in 16 seasons, and he's an absolute menace as far as locking up opponents on the perimeter. Unlike Smart, he's a dependable 3-point shooter — he has a career mark of 37% from that distance, as well as career averages of 15.8 points and 6.2 assists a game, and he has won two championships with the Milwaukee Bucks and the Boston Celtics.
But landing him would be difficult for Los Angeles. He will make $32.4 million this coming season, which would make him expensive, and he has three years left on his contract, which includes a player option for the 2027-28 season. Holiday recently turned 35 years of age, so one has to question whether it would be wise for L.A. to take on that type of contract for a player who could bring diminishing returns.
Holiday happens to originally be from the San Fernando Valley, and he played his lone season of college basketball at the University of California, Los Angeles. The Celtics traded him to Portland earlier this month as they look to trim salary.
This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Sources: Jrue Holiday 'is a name to monitor' for the Lakers