Sixers rumors: Team will take a ‘hard look’ at Jrue Holiday

By Brandon Apter, Sports Talk Philly editor  

Imagine this. The man who was traded to begin Sam Hinkie's "process" coming back to Philadelphia to be a part of the teams' future. When the Sixers acquired Nerlens Noel in the 2013 draft, they send point guard Jrue Holiday to New Orleans, which began the long road of rebuilding. Holiday was really the last solid point guard for Philadelphia and many would be intrigued by his return.

According to Zach Lowe of ESPN, Philadelphia plans to take a serious look at the veteran point man when he becomes a free agent after the season.

That would leave only Sacramento, Philadelphia, New York, and perhaps Orlando as big-money suitors in dire need of a point guard. The Sixers will take a hard look at Holiday, sources say; he fits what they need around Ben Simmons, and the hilariousness of Philly bringing Holiday back after flipping him to start The Process is irresistible.

Lowe mentions that Holiday could command anywhere from $15-20 annually and that if New Orleans can keep him at the lower end of that price range, it might be their best option at the point moving forward. The Sixers are one of the few teams that can afford Holiday, unless they feel like they are set with Jerryd Bayless.

Holiday, 26, would be a nice addition to a young Sixers roster and at his age, he still has room to develop. While his injury history is a bit of a concern (he played a total of 74 games between the 2013-14 & 2014-15 seasons), he'd give the Sixers a few things they need, which is a veteran presence, and a point guard that can run the offense efficiently with Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.

Jrue is in his eighth NBA season, and has career averages of 14.1 points, 6.1 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game while shooting 43.8 percent from the floor and 36.8 from beyond the arc. The Sixers selected Holiday in 17th overall in the 2009 NBA draft. He played four full seasons in Philadelphia, averaging 13.4 points and 5.8 assists per game while earning an All-Star Game selection in 2012-13, a season that saw him finish with averages of 17.7 points, 8.0 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game.

Obviously, the road block here is that Philadelphia signed Jerryd Bayless to a three-year deal this past offseason, so he is under contract for two more seasons. Bayless was viewed as the teams' starter before he got hurt. Sergio Rodriguez was only signed for one year and TJ McConnell has been a steady spark for the team as a reserve and a starter.

In 27 games this season for New Orleans, Holiday is averaging 13.9 points and 7.1 assists per game. He missed the first six weeks of the season caring for his wife, who had a brain tumor removed, and their newborn daughter.

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