Milwaukee Bucks: Regrading the Jrue Holiday trade almost a year later

The final (updated) grade for the Jrue Holiday trade almost a year later for the Milwaukee Bucks

Obviously, the hardest part to re-grade is what the Bucks sent away in the deal since we don’t know the full extent of what they gave up. In total, the Bucks dealt three draft picks and the rights to swap two more picks to the Pelicans, something that looked a lot more treacherous when the deal was first announced and we didn’t know Antetokounmpo’s future (or Holiday’s).

For right now, what we can look at are the players that were surrendered in the deal: Eric Bledsoe and George Hill. Starting with the veteran backup Hill, he played so incredibly well for the young Oklahoma City Thunder that they sat him after 14 games. Seriously, in that span, Hill was averaging almost 12 points per game on 63 percent true shooting. He then was dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers, where he struggled, but none of that matters because he’s back on the Bucks anyway.

After one year with the Pelicans, Bledsoe has been traded twice this offseason and is now back where he began his career, with the Los Angeles Clippers. I still like Bledsoe, but it was clear he wouldn’t be the player at point guard that would get the Bucks over the hump to win a title. Moving him was something that the Bucks had to do in order to reach their ultimate goal, unfortunately.

Regardless, I don’t think the return really matters all that much to Bucks fans anymore. Holiday helped bring the Bucks their first championship in 50 years and for that, all the picks can turn into Hall of Famers for all we care. The Bucks are champions and that means more than any potential draft pick ever could.

But now I know that — plus the Holiday extension, plus the championship, plus Hill being back on the Bucks, and plus the Bucks flipping Merrill for Grayson Allen — in making my updated grade.

BTBP (Updated) Final Grade: A+

Expect big things from Holiday in year two with the Bucks next season.