Mavericks land $134 million 2-time NBA champ in latest trade rumor

The Dallas Mavericks have a big hole to fill at point guard this offseason if they have any hopes of contending next season. Their frontcourt looks set and maybe even crowded with Cooper Flagg as the projected first overall pick, Anthony Davis, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, P.J. Washington, Naji Marshall, Dwight Powell, and Olivier-Maxence Prosper. But Kyrie Irving tore his ACL in March, and he isn't expected to be back until January at the earliest. And as great as Irving is, there's no guarantee he'll be the same player once he returns because he's a smaller and older guard coming off a major knee injury.

Dallas only has Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy as guards on the roster for next season. For a team hoping to contend, that's not good enough. The Mavericks are expected to explore options to add a point guard this offseason through free agency or a trade, but a trade seems like the likelier option because of the team's cap situation.

Bleacher Report's Dan Favale proposed a trade where the Mavericks would receive Jrue Holiday, the Boston Celtics would receive Daniel Gafford and P.J. Washington, and the Brooklyn Nets would receive Dwight Powell and a 2026 second-round pick as a trade facilitator.

"Dallas badly needs another ball-handler since Kyrie Irving’s ACL injury will keep him out through at least the start of 2026. Holiday could run a good portion of the show until Irving returns without infringing upon developmental reps for likely No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg. The Mavs would have no trouble playing all four of Flagg, Holiday, Irving and Anthony Davis together when they’re at full strength.

"The balance on Holiday’s contract could be a hang-up. He is owed $104.4 million through 2027-28 (player option), his age-37 season, and he's coming off a rough offensive campaign. Dallas could push for Boston to include draft equity, but Holiday’s arrival caters to the immediate timeline laid out by team president Nico Harrison while still preserving the big-picture outlook carved out by winning the Flagg lottery."

The contract is the tricky thing. Boston signed him to a high-priced long-term deal that will pay him more than $37 million when he's 37 years old. He's also almost always due to miss around 15 games per year, and he didn't have a great 2024-25 campaign, averaging 11.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 3.9 APG while shooting 35.3% from three. Giving up P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, and Dwight Powell for that, even with Holiday's elite defense, feels like an overpay.