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Should the Los Angeles Lakers pursue Jrue Holiday or Victor Oladipo?

By Jason Reed

NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers drives against Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on March 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - MARCH 21: Victor Oladipo #4 of the Indiana Pacers drives against Jrue Holiday #11 of the New Orleans Pelicans during the second half at the Smoothie King Center on March 21, 2018 in New Orleans, Louisiana. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers
(Photo by Katelyn Mulcahy/Getty Images) – Los Angeles Lakers /

Victor Oladipo vs. Jrue Holiday, external factors

There are two important external factors that really help us differentiate from the two players: the players’ contract situations as well as their health. Let’s get into them.

Contract situations: 

Both players are only guaranteed one more season on their contracts. Per Spotrac, Holiday is set to make just under $25.4 million next season while Oladipo is set to make $21 million. That $4 million does make a difference, but not a massive difference.

The biggest difference in the contracts is the player option that Holiday has after next season. Oladipo is going to be an outright free agent while Holiday has a player option on the backend of his deal.

This only really makes a difference if Holiday agrees, but that player option could be used in a sign and trade to get a bigger third-star next summer, similar to how the Houston Rockets acquired Chris Paul from the Los Angeles Clippers.

If Holiday opts-in and the Lakers cannot work out a trade then it could get a little tricky, but it is not like he is a bad player. That player-option potential slightly swings in his favor, especially because the Lakers will have a fall-back option just in case.

Health:

This is the big one. Victor Oladipo has not been healthy. Oladipo played 19 games last season and 36 the year prior. We know how good he is when he is at his best but we do not even know if he can reach that level again after the injuries that he has dealt with the last two seasons.

Plus, he is more likely to get re-injured than Holiday, just based on history alone.

Holiday has also missed time over the last two seasons but it has not been anything significant. He played in 61 of the Pelicans’ 72 games this past season and has played 65 or more games in each of the last five years.

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