My favorite part of the game right now is knowing that every year we beat the piss out of Ohio that is another senior class graduating that never saw the Buckeyes win during their college careers. #GoBlue
Why Portland's trade for Jrue Holiday is better than you think:
The Blazers had a top five defensive rating after the All-Star Break. In the short term, Jrue Holiday can help them take another step forward and he is a way better fit next to the core pieces on the roster.
This season, if Holiday has a bounce back year, his value increases way beyond what they gave up: a poor-fitting guard on an expiring deal in Anfernee Simons, plus two distant seconds. So, maybe they could flip Holiday before the 2026 trade deadline to a contender.
Or maybe they keep Holiday until the final year of his deal in 2027-28. At that point, he'll have a juicy $37M expiring deal that could be combined with assets to go get a star. Teams need salaries to make big trades. Jrue becomes that piece after only two seasons.
Acquiring Holiday isn't a misread of the Portland timeline. It's about the future: Turn Simons into a player who fits better now, helps facilitate development, and gives them a tradable salary when it's winning time.