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Among the flurry of moves made Monday night into Tuesday morning, the Milwaukee Bucks reportedly acquired Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans in exchange for Eric Bledsoe and George Hill, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
The Pelicans will acquire three future first-round picks in the deal, which also includes two pick swaps. According to David Aldridge of The Athletic, one of the first-round picks the Pelicans will acquire is the 24th overall selection in the NBA draft on Wednesday.
New Orleans will enter the draft now with four total picks — Nos. 13, 24, 39 and 42 — following the trade. Since trading Anthony Davis last year, the organization has stocked up on draft picks after acquiring three first-rounders and other pick swaps.
One of the three firsts Milwaukee is sending New Orleans in the Jrue Holiday trade is the Bucks’ first-rounder in Wednesday’s draft (number 24 overall), per league sources. The Pelicans already have the 13th overall pick in the first round.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) November 17, 2020
A two-time All-Defensive player, Holiday was regarded as perhaps the top player on the trade market. The Pelicans are in a bit of a retool and plan to build around Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball and others, and recognized that trading Holiday could help those efforts.
Meanwhile, the Bucks are stocking up on talent to help solidify their standing as a championship contender and convince Giannis Antetokounmpo to sign a five-year supermax contract. The team is also expected to acquire Bogdan Bogdanovic via a sign-and-trade from the Sacramento Kings.
The NBA draft is scheduled to begin Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN.
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