Milwaukee Bucks’ trade for Jrue Holiday in 2020 seen as a pivotal point in franchise history

As sophisticated as teams' front offices are regarding talent evaluation and number crunching, NBA trades are often hit-and-miss. There are times when a team receives a player that elevates their franchise, and other times when a trade turns out to be a bust. But for the Milwaukee Bucks, their trade for Jrue Holiday in 2020 has been hailed as a game-changer.

The Bucks were coming from disappointing playoff exits despite having one of the league's best players in Giannis Antetokounmpo. They needed to make a move to appease Giannis, convince him to stay long-term, and strengthen their roster for another potential championship run.

Enter Jrue Holiday—the All-Star point guard had been consistently underrated throughout his career, spending most of his prime years on teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and New Orleans Pelicans. However, on November 17, 2020, Holiday got sent to the Bucks in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, George Hill, and numerous draft picks.

Hit the jackpot

The Bucks entered the 2020-2021 season with some extra motivation. Though the team logged the most wins in the previous two regular seasons, they couldn't get their groove in the postseason. Holiday's arrival gave the Bucks the two-way player they needed, who complimented Giannis, Brook Lopez, and Khris Middleton.

"In each of the previous two seasons, Milwaukee posted the league's best regular-season record only to fall short in the playoffs. The Holiday trade proved to be a game changer for the organization and the player, who was competing for a legitimate title contender for the first time," Michael Wright wrote on NBA.com.

Holiday averaged 17.7 points on 50 percent shooting and 6.1 assists per game in the regular season, earning a spot on the All-Defensive First Team and finishing eighth in the race for Defensive Player of the Year.