When the Philadelphia 76ers traded Jrue Holiday to the New Orleans Pelicans on draft day two years ago, a lot of people were caught by surprise. In addition to sending the sixth pick in that year’s draft, Nerlens Noel, the Pelicans yielded a first-round pick in the 2014 draft.
Two years later, and it appears the Pelicans are receiving another piece in the trade.
According to Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer, the Sixers were ordered to pay New Orleans $3 million for failing to disclose Holiday’s injury history.
“The 76ers were ordered to pay the New Orleans Pelicans $3 million by the NBA last season for not fully disclosing Jrue Holiday’s injury history before he was traded two years ago, according to two sources,” the insider reports. “The sources said Holiday played with stress fractures in his lower right leg during his final season with the Sixers.”
It goes without saying that Philadelphia is denying using any improper tactics prior to the trade becoming official. However, those sources indicated to Pompey that Holiday’s injuries were not fully disclosed.
In the two seasons since being dealt to New Orleans, Holiday has missed 90 games due to multiple injuries. This past season saw him average 14.8 points and 6.9 assists in 40 games.
If they had known his injury history, it remains to be seen if the Pelicans would have traded for the guard, or what they would have offered to Philadelphia.
Though, the blame can’t all be placed on Philadelphia here. Players are given in-depth physicals by their new teams prior to a trade becoming official. A stress fracture probably should have shown up on Holiday’s physical.
Photo: USA Today Sports