The Dallas Mavericks reportedly are expected to explore trade options for a couple of guards in the offseason.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, Boston Celtics guard Jrue Holiday is a potential option for the Mavericks while Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is a “far more reasonable trade target.”
“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.
The Mavericks are in the market for a lead guard after they traded away Luka Doncic ahead of the trade deadline in the 2024-25 regular season and lost guard Kyrie Irving to a torn ACL later in the campaign.
With Irving’s status for the 2025-26 season likely up in the air, the Mavericks likely want a veteran guard that can run their offense since Anthony Davis and Klay Thompson will still be in the fold. Plus, Dallas landed the No. 1 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft and are widely expected to take Duke University star forward Cooper Flagg.
Holiday may be available if the Celtics want to shed some salary since Jayson Tatum (ruptured Achilles) is likely to miss a good chunk – if not all – of the 2025-26 season.
During the 2024-25 season, Holiday averaged 11.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game while shooting 44.3 percent from the field and 35.3 percent from beyond the arc.
A two-time NBA champion, Holiday has played in a ton of big playoff games in his career and is one of the best defenders at the guard position in the NBA. He’s a player that could help fill the void left by Irving’s injury but could also play alongside Irving once the superstar guard returns.
As for Ball, he’s also a player that can fit in many scenarios, although knee injuries have derailed his career.
Ball did not play in the 2022-23 season nor the 2023-24 season, but he did return to appear in 35 games for the Bulls in the 2024-25 campaign. Ball averaged 7.6 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in the 2024-25 season while shooting 34.4 percent from beyond the arc.
If the Mavericks want to contend for a playoff spot in the 2025-26 campaign, they’ll likely need to add at least one guard to improve their roster and give Davis, Thompson and others the best chance to win in a loaded Western Conference.
