Darius Garland: Suns Track Jrue Holiday Amid Portland's 72 Million Puzzle
darius garland sits at the center of a trade discussion that has pushed Jrue Holiday into the Suns conversation. Holiday could move again this offseason, and Portland’s backcourt setup is the reason the idea keeps surfacing.
The guard is owed $72 million over the next two seasons, with a player option in the final year, and he is making just under $35 million this season. That price tag gives any deal real weight for Phoenix, where the roster already leans guard-heavy.
Portland’s Guard Traffic
Holiday landed in Portland last year after being traded there from the Boston Celtics. Since then, Scoot Henderson has emerged in the first round of the playoffs, and Damian Lillard is gearing up to return, leaving the Trail Blazers with more backcourt names than easy minutes.
That squeeze is part of why Holiday’s name is back in circulation online. Portland also finished 28th in three-point percentage last season at 34.3 percent and ranked dead last in bench three-point shooting at 32.0 percent, which makes a veteran guard with Holiday’s profile a cleaner fit on paper than it would be in a simpler roster setup.
Phoenix And The Contract Fit
The Suns’ path is narrower. The only realistic trade structures described were Jalen Green in a one-for-one deal or Royce O’Neale and Grayson Allen together, which means Phoenix would have to decide whether Holiday’s defense and experience are worth sending out useful rotation pieces.
Holiday will be 36 going into next year, and age plus injury history sit near the front of the conversation. Phoenix has also dealt with injury issues from players acquired in trades, so adding another veteran on a large deal would not be a clean add-and-forget move.
Collin Gillespie and Jordan Goodwin want to resign, which adds another layer to Phoenix’s guard picture. If the Suns pursue Holiday, they may need to clear room for a veteran salary while deciding which of their current guards they can afford to keep in place.
