San Antonio Spurs fans can’t believe the Mavericks want to add (subscription required) Jrue Holiday, Chris Paul, or Lonzo Ball as their starting point guard next season. It is laughable. The rival Mavs were gifted a get-out-of-jail-free card by winning the Cooper Flagg lottery and are still focused on ruining their future. It is absurd that Nico Harrison is not building his roster around his new generational prospect.
Spurs fans are not happy about Dallas potentially stealing CP3, but it is time for San Antonio to move on. They traded for De’Aaron Fox and appear set to draft Dylan Harper. There are not enough minutes for Paul, who surprisingly played 28.0 minutes per and appeared in all 82 games this season.
The Spurs instantly began building around Victor Wembanyama when they won the 2023 lottery. They are now ready to make a leap with a 21-year-old superstar. Dallas may be at the end of a run and struggling to find a way out as Flagg enters his third season.
Spurs fans can’t believe the Mavericks are throwing away their future
The Mavs are searching for a stopgap ball-handler as Kyrie Irving recovers from ACL surgery. There is some optimism the future Hall of Famer will return in early 2026, but what can Dallas expect from a 34-year-old point guard coming off a serious knee injury? Nico Harrison appears committed to bringing Kyrie back after trading Luka Doncic, but there is a short window to build a title-contending team.
Harrison’s answer to that is trading for Jrue Holiday. Forget the $100-plus million he is owed over the next three seasons. Holiday turns 35 in June and is already showing signs of decline. Harrison wants to give up multiple rotation pieces to acquire someone who will be out of the league by the time Flagg reaches his prime. Defense wins championships, but not with a 40-year-old former stopper flanking a 24-year-old superstar.
Chris Paul is over 40 and Lonzo Ball has only played 70 games over the last four seasons. Those options are cheaper but would create serious issues for Dallas. There is no guarantee either would stay on the floor and neither is a long-term option.
Harrison has already traded most of the Mavs draft capital and his three highest-paid players are over 32. They will be declining as Flagg finishes his rookie contract. Dallas may have one of the best players in the league and no avenues to improve a middling roster around him. It is difficult to fathom, but all Spurs fans can do is laugh at their rival’s ineptitude.
The San Antonio Spurs are committed to building a title-contending roster around Victor Wembanyama. They have the second overall pick in this year’s draft and will add more pieces to help them win now. San Antonio figures to be a contender for the next decade-plus. The Mavs will have to fire Nico Harrison and start building around Cooper Flagg to join them. That doesn’t appear to be happening anytime soon. Spurs fans will take that win.