Swarm and Sting
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Does this recently traded guard make sense for the Hornets?

By James Mastrucci

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 19: Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Miami Heat during the second half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Fiserv Forum on April 19, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - APRIL 19: Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks looks on against the Miami Heat during the second half of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round Playoffs at Fiserv Forum on April 19, 2023 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images) /
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As part of the recently agreed-to-trade that sent Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks, veteran guard Jrue Holiday was dealt to the Portland Trail Blazers. The expectation is that Portland will look to flip Holiday as they are in full rebuild mode. With that in mind, should the Charlotte Hornets be one of the many teams that are vying for his services?

Holiday has proven to be a solid contributor alongside Giannis Antetokounmpo, including Milwaukee’s run to the NBA title in the 2020-21 season. While Charlotte’s aspirations are not as high as Milwaukee’s, an addition of Holiday could help them in their cause to reach their own attainable goals. Goals such as improving their record from last season, as well as making some sort of postseason play, whether that is the Play-In Tournament or actual playoff qualification.

While there is no doubt that an addition of Holiday would make the Hornets a better team, there are a few obstacles. First off, Holiday may not be all that interested in coming to Charlotte, considering the current state of the franchise. Going from being on a championship-contending team in Milwaukee and being subsequently traded to Portland, only to end up on another team without a shot at winning The Finals is a tough sell.

The next obstacle is that adding Holiday does not necessarily align with Charlotte’s roster foundation and what their contention window should be. This is a very young team with a couple of veterans on their roster who will not be on the team when they are truly ready to contend (Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier). Bringing a player who is on the wrong side of 30 would only further complicate things.

What it all comes down to is while the addition of Holiday would be intriguing, it does not make the most sense for the Hornets at this moment in time. If last year was not the entire disaster it was and there was something tangible to build on, it would be a much different scenario. But considering the relative instability of the franchise, it may best to look elsewhere regarding potential additions to this roster.

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