Chicago Turned Justin Holiday into Two Guards and Two Picks
The Bulls traded Justin Holiday to Memphis on January 3, 2019 for MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden Jr., a 2019 second-round draft choice and a 2020 second-round choice. Both teams announced the exact package, and the selected players became No. 38 Daniel Gafford in 2019 and No. 44 Marko Simonović in 2020. Holiday had started all 38 of his Chicago appearances that season, averaging 11.6 points and 4.4 rebounds while providing perimeter defense. Memphis wanted a reliable veteran wing alongside Mike Conley and Marc Gasol, while the rebuilding Bulls could absorb a short-term roster change and wait for new prospects. The draft compensation was not conditional cash: both seconds became actual selections. Chicago also waived Cameron Payne in a separate roster move connected to making space for the incoming guards.
Gafford Became the Bulls Most Productive Long-Term Asset
Chicago used its 2019 No. 38 pick on athletic Arkansas center Daniel Gafford. He immediately provided vertical finishing and shot blocking, becoming a regular contributor before his later trade to Washington. His entire subsequent career with Washington and Dallas should not be assigned to Chicago games, but the original 2019 pick produced an identifiable NBA big man with substantial professional value. The 2020 selection led to Marko Simonović, whose NBA impact was comparatively limited. Selden supplied additional wing minutes in the remainder of 2018-19, while Brooks was waived early rather than becoming a long-term scorer. The inherited Bulls A grade is supported by obtaining multiple resources for a veteran whose team was not contending. It is more accurate to credit Gafford and the picks than to claim all four acquired assets were equally successful on the court.
Memphis Got a Real Veteran but Paid a Future Development Cost
Holiday gave the Grizzlies another experienced defender and occasional outside shooter during the 2018-19 season. His NBA role was legitimate, although Memphis was changing direction soon after the trade as its older core was broken up. The inherited Grizzlies C grade reflects the limited tenure compared with two selections that Chicago could develop or exchange. That is not a claim Holiday was useless, only that a short veteran assignment was a smaller return than having future picks that ultimately conveyed. The deal does not include the unrelated Marshon Brooks and Dillon Brooks name-confusion report from the preceding month as a completed part of this trade. The official January 3 transaction identifies MarShon Brooks and Selden as the two incoming Bulls players.
Final Verdict
Bulls Win. Chicago earns A for MarShon Brooks, Wayne Selden Jr. and two picks that became No. 38 Daniel Gafford in 2019 and No. 44 Marko Simonović in 2020. Memphis gets C for Justin Holiday, an experienced wing with a shorter remaining Grizzlies tenure.