This trade differed somewhat from what fans had predicted.
Neither Ariza nor Bojan was involved in the trade. Instead, the team had sent away its starting point guard of the past four years, near-All-Star Holiday!
This sparked intense discussion among fans on social media.
"Such a massive loss! Both Holiday and Jokic are gone!"
"Although Butler is stronger than both Holiday and Jokic, this trade is a real loss! Are the Pelicans really throwing themselves into chaos?!"
"Dempsey must have gotten his head kicked by a donkey. He's ruining his own future! The Three-peat Dynasty is gone!"
"Not a bad trade. Nicely done!" — a comment from a Jokic Fan.
"Am I the only one who thinks it wasn't a loss? Butler proved how tough he was in the Playoffs last season, and he and Tang Tian are Brothers of Hard Work!"
"I don't think it was a loss either. Jokic's Rookie Contract expires next season, and the Pelicans might not be able to afford to re-sign him. I'm just a little reluctant to see Holiday go!"
"Yeah, Holiday worked tirelessly and had All-Star-level ability, but he'd always been making sacrifices for the Pelicans. In the end, he got traded. Sigh, the NBA is a Commercial League!"
"Butler, Tang, Davis—the Pelicans are a Big Three team now too! The league's trend is unstoppable!"
"Exactly. The Cavaliers have George, LeBron, Whiteside, and Love; the Bucks have Irving, Antetokounmpo, and maybe others. This is getting exciting!"
"But what I don't understand is why the Mavericks wanted Jokic. Don't they already have Embiid?"
"Jokic actually isn't tall enough to play center. He proved that with the Pelicans. He was often overpowered on the boards, and he had to put on weight just to hold his position inside. In the end, opponents targeted him