One potential trade with each Southwest team: New Orleans Pelicans
There have been rumors about a possible reunion with the Philadelphia 76ers and Jrue Holiday. Holiday has been a member of the New Orleans Pelicans since Philly traded him there back during the 2013 NBA Draft. Now seems like the perfect time for a reunion if there ever was such a time.
The Sixers need a combo guard who can stretch the floor, create for himself and others, and defend at a high level. Holiday checks all of those boxes, so with that in mind, this next hypothetical trade has Holiday returning to the 76ers.
The Pelicans get a veteran in Horford who is the ideal fit next to their young star Zion Williamson. Horford can stretch the floor much better than Derrick Favors did for the Pelicans last year. Favors is a free agent so adding a veteran like Horford solves the issue of trying to re-sign Favors. It’s true that Favors is probably the better defender between two bigs, however, Horford can still hold his own just fine against opposing centers despite being past his prime.
The Pelicans get a young prospect in Zhaire Smith and the 21st pick in this upcoming draft which is a great addition for a young rebuilding team like New Orleans. If Holiday didn’t have a player option for the 2021-22 season, then the Pelicans could ask for another first, but that’s not the case. Due to the fact he has a player option, one first round pick plus a young player and a solid veteran should be enough to land Holiday.