Milwaukee makes trade for Jrue Holiday official

The Milwaukee Bucks made several moves official Tuesday that had been reported over the last week.

The big one was the trade for guard Jrue Holiday, getting him from New Orleans for guard Eric Bledsoe and two first round picks. The Pelicans also have the right to swap first-round picks with Milwaukee in 2024 and 2026. Guard George Hill was also traded as part of the deal to Oklahoma City.

“Jrue is an incredibly high character person and one of the premier guards in the NBA,” Bucks GM Jon Horst stated in a release. “He will make us better on both ends of the floor, as he’s an elite defender and a proven playmaker on offense with the ability to score, shoot and facilitate. His experience will help our team and we are thrilled to welcome him and his family to Milwaukee.”

Holiday averaged 19.1 points and 6.7 assists last season for the Pelicans. He’s a two-time All-NBA Defensive team member and is considered to be among the best defensive guards in the league.

Milwaukee also got the draft rights to Utah State guard Sam Merrill from the Pelicans. Merrill was the final pick of last Wednesday’s draft.

“Sam is someone we’ve had our eye on over his last couple seasons at Utah State,” Horst stated. “He has demonstrated the ability to shoot at a high percentage and we like his size and overall feel for the game. We’re excited to get him into camp and watch him compete at this level.”

The Bucks also announced the resigning of guard Pat Connaughton, to what was reportedly a three-year deal. He averaged 5.4 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists for Milwaukee last season.

“Pat is a tireless worker who has proven to be an integral member of our team the last two seasons,” Horst stated. “In addition to his dependable play on both ends of the court, Pat is a great teammate who has also embraced his role in the community, and we look forward to more contributions from him as he continues to grow and develop.”