The Dallas Mavericks have a backup option in case they cannot land their dream offseason target.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Mavericks have set their eyes on two veteran point guards as their trade targets to fill in for the injured Kyrie Irving at the start of next season.
“League sources say Dallas is expected to at least explore whether there are any feasible trade pathways to Boston’s Jrue Holiday — complicated as that would likely be given the three years and $104 million still left on Holiday’s contract — while also maintaining an interest in a far more reasonable trade target as we’ve discussed on the DLLS Mavs podcast: Lonzo Ball,” Stein wrote on his “The Stein Line” Substack newsletter on Monday.
Ball is on a much cheaper deal than Holiday, which makes him easier for the Mavericks to acquire. The 27-year-old Bulls point guard extended for $20 million over two seasons in February with a team option on the second year.
But Ball’s injury history makes him a scary option for the Mavericks. He missed two-plus seasons recovering from a devastating knee injury. The former No. 2 overall pick had three surgeries, including a transplanted knee ligament from a deceased donor.
Ball, who turns 28 in October, averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. He had a 50.4% effective field goal percentage while making 34% of his 3-pointers.
Jrue Holiday is Older But Better Option
Holiday is seven years older than Ball. But he is better suited to the Mavericks who are looking to contend now.
The 34-year-old point guard has championship pedigree and is a six-time NBA All-Defensive player.
However, Holiday is coming off his worst season offensively since his rookie year. He averaged just 11.1 points on 44.3% field goal shooting and 35.3% from the 3-point line.
But the Mavericks will have competition for Holiday.
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 deeper draft capital and financial flexibility.
“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.
Mavericks Could Become Second Apron Team
The Mavericks have a lot of tough decisions to make this summer.
An increased payroll brought by Cooper 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.
Aside from Irving, PJ Washington is also eligible to sign a four-year, $89.2 million extension.
If they extend both Irving and Washington, the Mavericks will not have spending power in free agency and will be restricted in aggregating salaries in a trade. If they do not extend Washington, the veteran forward will become a valuable trade chip as an expiring contract ($14.1 million).
