Boston Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday is expected to draw interest from a desperate team in the Western Conference.
The Dallas Mavericks are expected “to at least explore whether there are any feasible trade pathways” to Boston’s Jrue Holiday, NBA insider Marc Stein reported on his “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter on Monday.
The Mavericks are in desperate need of a point guard following Kyrie Irving‘s ACL tear which will keep him out for most, if not the entire next season.
Stein, however, noted that trading for Holiday is “complicated” because there are still three years and $104 million remaining on the Celtics starting point guard’s contract.
The Mavericks will not have big spending power in free agency as they will operate as an apron team.
An increased payroll brought by Flagg’s rookie-scale contract as the No.1 pick and an expected lucrative extension for Irving, who has a $43 million player option, will put them above the two aprons, according to ESPN’s front office insider Bobby Marks.
If they go above the second apron, they will not be able to aggregate players in a trade, the same predicament that the Celtics are facing.
Other Teams to Watch on Potential Jrue Holiday Trade
According to Kurt Helin of NBC Sports, the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs are the other teams to watch in a potential Holiday trade this offseason.
Unlike the Mavericks, the Rockets and Spurs have a cleaner pathway to land Holiday.
“With Boston likely trimming payroll this summer, look for a lot of interest from playoff teams in Jrue Holiday, an elite defensive guard who has helped the Bucks and Celtics win rings. The Rockets and Spurs might be teams to watch,” Helin wrote.
Though Holiday is coming off his worst season offensively since his rookie year, no thanks to injuries, the 34-year-old point guard has championship pedigree and a reputation as a good on-ball defender.
Holiday’s four-point dud in Game 6 loss to the New York Knicks in the second round capped what had been his worst season since his rookie year. He averaged just 11.1 points on 44.3% field goal shooting and 35.3% from the 3-point line.
Jrue Holiday Believes Jayson Tatum-Less Celtics Still a Contender
Holiday finds himself in the trade rumors because of the Celtics staggering payroll next season that would reach $500 million, including luxury tax penalties.
“Welcome to the life of a professional athlete,” Holiday told reporters after the Celtics’ second-round exit. “Sometimes you just have to do it, and other people do it in different ways. Again, I think the things that I can control, I do my best to control, but other than that, I try my best not to worry about it.
“So, for me, this offseason, having a little bit of a break, getting back right, and preparing for next season is all that I could really do. Who comes back, roster change, and things like that, it’s not really in my control. So, I just focus on what I can.”
Jayson Tatum‘s Achilles injury that will keep him out for the entire next season further complicates things in Boston. Yet Holiday is firm in his belief that they are still a championship contender even without their franchise star Tatum and hoping he would stay.
“I think we still have a really, really great opportunity and a great window to be successful and win a championship again,” Holiday said. “I think the talent that we have on this team, not only on the court, but the coaching staff, all the way up to Brad [Stevens], has been amazing. So, yeah, the opportunity to win is now, and I still want to be a part of that.”
