The Mavericks’ Kyrie Irving will miss most or all of next season due to the ACL injury he suffered in March, leaving Dallas without a starting point guard. On the trading block in Boston, former Milwaukee Bucks PG Jrue Holiday, a member of the 2021 title squad, is of interest to the Mavs as a possible replacement, per NBA insider Jake Fischer. The fit is there, but Dallas doesn’t have the pieces to get a viable deal done by itself. Maneuvering teams, players and draft picks into place could get messy.
A Jrue Holiday Trade May Be Complicated
After acquiring Holiday from Milwaukee in the Damian Lillard trade, the Celtics signed him to a four-year, $134 million extension in 2024. Now they want to trade him. Unfortunately for Boston, he will be a hard asset to move.
While Holiday can still contribute, he’s slowing down fast. Last season he averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists, playing his fewest minutes per game in almost a decade. He remains an above-average defender, but clearly he’s lost a step. The biggest problem is his contract, at his age. Not many teams want to take on a 35-year-old with over $100 million left on the books.
Dallas might bite. With Irving sidelined, the Mavs could use a veteran point guard to mentor Cooper Flagg, who will presumably arrive via Dallas’ no. 1 pick. The Spurs made a similar move last offseason when they signed Chris Paul in free agency to pair with Victor Wembanyama in year two.
Unlike Paul, however, Holiday isn’t a free agent and will cost more, in the form of salary and whatever players come back to Boston in a trade. By themselves, the Mavs can’t assemble a reasonable package.
Because the Celtics are a second apron team and the Mavericks have their own cap issues to navigate, Dallas could only make the salaries work by combining multiple players. At least one of Klay Thompson, PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford would likely be included. It doesn’t make any sense to give up several usable role players for a guy who is a role player himself and not an elite one.
From the standpoint of salary and player swaps, sending Holiday to the Kings, also rumored as suitors, would be a much smoother transaction.
How Dallas Mavericks Could Acquire Holiday
Let’s say Sacramento bows out, though. For Dallas, involving a third team would be a tricky process at best – the Mavs lack the cap space to take in substantially higher salaries than they send out. Trying to make up Holiday’s paycheck with a player from another team would be difficult if not practically impossible.
Maybe Boston would gift Dallas some draft picks simply for absorbing Holiday’s undesirable contract. If he continues trending like he has been, he may be borderline unplayable by the final year. The Celtics shouldn’t expect to move off him for nothing. Soothed by incoming draft assets, the loss of multiple rotation pieces would be more palatable for the Mavericks.
Essentially, they would be conceding the season while Irving recovers and hope to re-sign him or, preferably, a younger star next offseason. Meanwhile, Flagg could develop. Anthony Davis is under contract through 2027-28. Dallas would add to its draft stock for the future. It could work.
For his part, Dallas fan and radio host Zach Wolchuk would welcome Holiday to his team.
“I don’t get the Jrue Holiday negativity regarding a potential trade to the Mavs. I understand the contract isn’t great for a player of his age but he is perfect for what they are looking for. Can also play w/ Kyrie and fit in at any role they need once he gets back,” Wolchuk said on social media.
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