Report: Mavericks will explore Jrue Holiday trade with Celtics

The Mavericks hope to acquire one of the guards who defeated them in the NBA Finals this summer. With Kyrie Irving (ACL) injured until at least January and Luka Dončić in LA, Dallas will explore a trade for Jrue Holiday this offseason, according to Marc Stein.

Boston and Dallas would unite as intriguing trade partners. The Mavericks have a surplus in their front court after adding Anthony Davis and consensus No. 1 pick Cooper Flagg will play in the front court. That allows PJ Washington and Daniel Gafford to depart in a potential deal as most of the matching money going back to the Celtics. The problems begin there in what’s a complicated trade due to Holiday’s three-year, $104 million contract.

If the team tries to dodge the second apron, Boston needs to limit the total amount of money coming back in the trade. That’ll require pulling in a third team, and likely becomes where the Celtics would need to provide some amount of draft compensation. Washington and Gafford combine for over $28 million next season, but their expiring contracts and value as starting-caliber players would make both easier to re-route. Either Dwight Powell, also expiring, Jaden Hardy, Olivier-Maxence Prosper, among others, would round out the deal for Dallas while bringing back Holiday’s $32.4 million salary.

That’s where the trouble begins for the Mavs. Since they’d aggregate multiple salaries to complete the trade, it would trigger a second apron hard cap for the team next season. They’re currently $12.7 million below that apron, so sending out as much salary as possible becomes important for them being able to construct a team. It doesn’t help that Flagg slots in at $13.8 million when the Mavs sign him to 120% of the rookie scale for a No. 1 overall pick. That’ll currently push them over the second apron. Kyrie Irving, who has until June 24 to decide on his $44 million player option, can provide more flexibility if he opts-out and takes less than that in the first season of a long-term extension.

After breaking down various constructions of a deal over at CLNS Media, a three-team trade with Brooklyn where the Nets absorb Caleb Martin’s three-year deal worth $9.6 million next season alongside Washington makes the most sense. Brooklyn could get something later for Washington, who flourished with Dallas after Charlotte dealt him there. The Nets taking on Martin would likely require some sweetener, though. Boston, if necessary, could also bring back Powell’s $4 million contract and move it somewhere later.

Despite the challenges, benefits exist for both sides: the Celtics move off Holiday without shedding significant assets, acquire a younger center should Al Horford or Luke Kornet depart and gain some flexibility with Kristaps Porziņģis’ future as he enters his contract year. The Celtics would land within striking distance of sliding under the second apron, and could do so by trading Sam Hauser into another team’s mid-level exception, then moving Porziņģis, Gafford or others and taking less money back.

If they need to dodge the luxury tax, which they’re about $40 million above, they could offload all those players and work their way down in multiple steps throughout the season.

For the Mavs: Holiday provides point guard skills, defensive versatility and a needed veteran presence in Irving’s absence before pairing nicely beside him upon his return. Holiday doesn’t dominant the ball, so Flagg and Davis could share ball-handling duties while Irving rehabs. They could also sign Chris Paul for the veteran’s minimum to add to their ball-handling depth, and transition him to a bench role when Irving returns. Stein mentioned Lonzo Ball, recently extended for two-years, $20 million by Chicago, as an option too.

The Celtics, awaiting an official ownership change, will meet in the coming weeks leading up to the draft to assess their direction following the Jayson Tatum achilles tear and subsequent second round exit for Boston. Next season’s roster projects to cost roughly $500 million between payroll and repeater tax penalties, and another season above the second apron line would freeze the Celtics’ 2033 first round pick.

They need to spend three of the next four seasons below to unfreeze 2032, while two years out of the tax resets the repeater penalty. Using Tatum’s hiatus to reset those clocks could put the team in the best position to contend when he returns. But they’ll rely on facilitators like Brooklyn to move off money, or larger trades emerging. That could lead to some painful moves.

Holiday turns 35 in June.