NBA Trade Rumor: Pelicans not looking to deal Jrue Holiday

Since the start of December, Jrue Holiday has been performing like the All-Star that the Pelicans thought they had traded for over two years ago. His per 36 minute averages during the final month of 2015 were spectacular: 20.2 points, 6.1 assists, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 steals and 2.6 threes. January has proven just as tantalizing: 20.6 points, 8.5 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 steals and 1.2 threes. Advanced stats are supportive as well with a 22.3 PER in December and a nearly identical 22.2 PER for this current month.

Not surprising, Holiday has raised his value in the eyes of front offices around the league. Yesterday, Zach Lowe wrote a piece on the Utah Jazz and mentioned how their team executives are scanning the league for point guards more competent than Trey Burke or Raul Neto. With Dante Exum's development put on hold due to ACL surgery, the Jazz need to look outside their roster to get Gordon Hayward, Derrick Favors and Rudy Gobert the help they need in the starting lineup. Jrue Holiday's name came up, but according to Lowe, there's not much under that rock.

They're poking around the point guard market now, according to several league sources, and they'll look again over the summer. With Hood and Hayward able to handle the ball, the ideal upgrade isn't an expensive dribbling maestro like Mike Conley. A spot-up guy willing to grind on defense would be perfect, but the best matches, such as Patrick Beverley and George Hill, aren't available. Jrue Holiday would work, but suitors are petrified of his leg issues, and the Pelicans, low on quality young players, are reluctant to deal him, league sources said. Utah showed little interest in Mario Chalmers, a rare missed opportunity.

With Holiday finally looking capable of filling the role of Robin next to Anthony Davis' Batman, there is no incentive to move the 25 year old. As nikkoewan pointed out this morning, competing for championships requires talent and plenty of continuity. Jrue's tibia remains an issue, because he's yet to play starter minutes through an entire season, but that image is improving by the day. In a season that has witnessed a number of key injuries to players including Davis, Tyreke Evans, Quincy Pondexter and Eric Gordon, Holiday has yet to even suffer any sort of setback.

In fact, Holiday looks as spry as he ever has in a New Orleans uniform. In the Pelicans latest game, he went toe to toe with James Harden, finishing with 32 points, 9 assists, 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 threes. Holiday nearly carried the Pelicans to victory despite the early departures of Davis and Evans.

Jrue Holiday accounted for 28 of the last 35 points for the Pelicans tonight. That's absurd.

— David Fisher (@usnfish) January 26, 2016

No, Jrue Holiday very much remains a big part of the New Orleans Pelicans future. File that under very good news.