With the Mavericks in dire need of a point guard, they could end up being the team that swings a trade for Celtics veteran Jrue Holiday.
Both the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics have to deal with a certain degree of flux heading into the 2025 offseason. The Mavericks, as everyone knows so well, are still dealing with the aftermath of their decision to trade away Luka Doncic for a package headlined by Anthony Davis, and they are also reeling from Kyrie Irving's torn ACL. Meanwhile, the Celtics will have to trim their payroll, as they cannot justify the exorbitant tax bill they will have to pay next season if they decide to stay in the second apron.
Two of the likeliest trade candidates for the Celtics are Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, and the former has already been linked to a few teams, including the Mavericks. On paper, these two teams appear to be perfect trade partners. The Mavericks are in dire need of a point guard with Irving out due to injury, and they could spare a few useful depth pieces in a potential trade with the Celtics.
With that said, here is the trade proposal that should get a trade that sends Holiday to the Mavericks done.
Celtics bid farewell to Jrue Holiday, Mavericks buy low
Mavericks trade: Daniel Gafford, Klay Thompson, Olivier-Maxence Prosper
Celtics trade: Jrue Holiday, lottery-protected 2027 first-round pick
This is a trade that works perfectly under the cap rules (tested out in Fanspo's trade machine), and here's why both teams benefit from making such a trade.
Mavericks achieve better roster balance
At the moment, the Mavericks are so top-heavy, especially in the frontcourt. They have Anthony Davis, Dereck Lively II, PJ Washington, and Gafford, and it's looking likely as well that they draft Cooper Flagg in this year's draft. Meanwhile, their guard play is almost non-existent. Irving is on the mend and is expected to be out until at least January, Spencer Dinwiddie is one step closer to being washed, and Jaden Hardy hasn't looked like he's ready to be a starter for a team with contending aspirations.
Their roster is screaming out for a legitimate point guard to set things up for their talented big men. Flagg and Davis, in particular, would benefit immensely from having a true table-setter to make things easier for them. This is what makes Holiday such an enticing player for them to get via trade. It helps as well that Holiday and Davis have plenty of experience playing with each other, having done so from 2013 to 2019 with the New Orleans Pelicans.
Trading away Gafford should not take away from the Mavs' frontcourt depth, which is their roster's main strength. Washington can always line up at the four in lineups with Davis at the five, and Flagg, considering the trajectory of today's NBA, may be destined to call the four his long-term positional home in the NBA. Lively is only 21 years old and is under his rookie-scale contract for two more years, making him the more valuable asset to keep between him and Gafford.
Thompson could end up being a piece the Mavericks want to hold on to; he is the team's best shooter (especially with Irving on the mend), after all. They would have to start Max Christie or Caleb Martin at the two if they end up moving Thompson. Nonetheless, that is not the worst thing in the world, and they can at least get off of Thompson's contract which runs for two more years.
For taking on Holiday and his huge contract, the Mavericks will be rewarded with draft compensation as well. Holiday's deal runs for three more years at a total of $104.4 million, and considering his production over the past two seasons, that seems to be a bit of an overpay. But real ball-knowers know that Holiday is the image that comes up on the encyclopedia when someone takes a look at what a winning player is, and he would be such a major addition for the Mavericks without requiring to give up their most valuable assets.
Celtics get cap relief and depth
The main goal for the Celtics in any Holiday trade is to try and get underneath the second apron. This deal doesn't quite do that yet. Absorbing Thompson's contract is tough, but Thompson's marksmanship (he made 216 total threes last season at a 39.1 percent clip) could make him a viable trade target for a team in need of shooting (the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic come to mind).
Meanwhile, Gafford could be someone worth holding onto for when the Celtics try to compete once again. Porzingis is expected to be moved as well, which would gut the Celtics' frontcourt, but Gafford is a legitimate rim-protecting lob threat with considerable playoff experience — which should make him an even more valuable asset come the 2026-27 season.
Moreover, Prosper is a legitimate prospect who got some minutes for the Mavericks before he sustained an injury. He could be worth developing for the Celtics, especially as they enter what many expect would be a gap year in 2025-26.
Perhaps some would argue that the Celtics should target Washington instead of Thompson. But that may be far too rich of a price for the Mavericks. Washington showed during the 2024 NBA playoffs that he can defend everyone from the likes of Paul George to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Anthony Edwards, and this defensive versatility is something every team needs.
With Flagg (presumably) set to be drafted by the Mavericks, Washington could end up being expendable. Nonetheless, Washington should fetch a pretty penny on the trade market anyway, and it would be hard for the Celtics to pry him away in a Holiday trade without giving up more draft capital, which they might need to get off of Porzingis' contract anyway.
Final thoughts
Considering how much Holiday will make over the next three seasons, it will be hard to find teams willing to absorb his contract. The Celtics must then set their sights on striking a deal with a team that's reportedly interested in him, and the trade framework above is a reasonable starting-off point that the two teams can build off of come offseason time.
