It’s no secret the Dallas Mavericks have a glut of talent in the front court and a dearth of it in the back court at the moment. With Kyrie Irving on the shelf until at least January, and both Spencer Dinwiddie and Dante Exum hitting free agency, Dallas essentially has Brandon Williams and Jaden Hardy to initiate the offense. If you subscribe to the notion that Hardy is much better suited as a two-guard, a theory I am personally on board with, the lack of depth at PG is glaring.
While it’s a reasonable assumption the Mavs could bring back one or both of Dinwiddie and Exum - both know the system, both should be reasonably affordable, and neither costs you other assets - it probably isn’t wise for that to be “Plan A.” Exum has shown a propensity for injury and both players are arguably more effective when not shouldering the entire burden of running the team for 35 minutes per night. Assuming one or both factor into the equation in bench roles, that leaves a big hole to be filled by another player who can handle the burden as a starter, then happily shift to the bench upon Irving’s return.
There is no shortage of rumors gestating already. Names like Dennis Schroder, Lonzo Ball and Chris Paul are names in the mix, however Jrue Holiday appears to be getting even more attention than the others. Robby Kalland of CBS Sports touched on this idea in conjunction with reports coming from Marc Stein declaring Dallas’ interest in Holiday. It makes all the sense in the world on paper since Holiday is a defensive ace with two championship rings on his fingers. In fact, it’s become almost eerie that a team wins the championship a year following the acquisition of Holiday (first Milwaukee, then Boston).
A deeper look gives some valid reason for pause, however. Holiday will turn 35 years old in a matter of weeks and is owed over $32 million next season. Beyond that, he is owed nearly $35 million in 2026-27 and then has a player option for just north of $37 million in 2027-28. For a then-37 year old who is not putting up Kevin Durant-like stats and who will be within shouting distance of twenty years in the league at that point, that is a tremendous financial commitment. Maybe he doesn’t pick up his player option (impossibly unlikely) or becomes a valuable expiring contract, but those are gambles the Mavs can’t really depend on to soften the financial impact Holiday would have on the team.
Could Holiday go for the trifecta, winning his third ring following being relocated via trade? Sure, and maybe the win-now desires of the Mavs’ front office see to it that this gets done. On the other hand, does Dallas commit more than $30 million per year to a player who will quickly move to the bench? It seems unlikely either side would be happy with that scenario. With other viable options, the Mavs should really consider their interest thoroughly here. Holiday is a proven winner and would certainly help Dallas, but there are ways for the Mavs to stretch their dollar more favorably. Stay tuned to Mavs Moneyball in the coming days where we’ll explore another such free agent target that may make much more sense.
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