Amid recent speculation that Jrue Holiday could return to the Philadelphia 76ers, the team that drafted him, a report reveals that the Portland Trail Blazers are not going to let him go.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, rumors about a buyout that would release Holiday into free agency are "erroneous."
"League sources say Portland is not about to just usher Holiday onto the open market," Stein emphasized. "The Blazers have been messaging for some time that they would like to keep Holiday, even after trading for Ja Morant and with Damian Lillard poised to make a comeback after losing a full season to an Achilles tear."
The 36-year-old had a solid season with Portland as he averaged 16.4 points, 4.6 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1 steal across almost 29 minutes per game.
Holiday helped them make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2021, where they lost in six games to the eventual finalists, San Antonio Spurs in a first round series.
Why Jrue Holiday's 76ers return would have been special
Jrue Holiday will remain with the Portland Trail Blazers, but a return to Philadelphia would have completed one of the NBA's most interesting career circles.
The 76ers drafted Holiday in 2009, and he became an All-Star before being traded in the deal that helped begin "The Process." More than a decade later, he could have returned as a two-time NBA champion and elite perimeter defender.
Holiday would fit naturally alongside LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid, and Tyrese Maxey. He would not need the ball, could guard the opponent's best perimeter player, and already knows how to succeed alongside Brown.
Instead, Holiday will stay in Portland. Still, the idea of Philadelphia's former young star returning as the final piece of a newly built superteam would have made for a fitting homecoming.