Everything has changed for the Dallas Mavericks once Cooper Flagg arrived as the centerpiece of the future, but they need to keep improving the roster. With Kyrie Irving looking to return to the court and Flagg aiming to be an All-Star next season, the Mavericks are entering a fascinating new era that needs a veteran presence.
That’s exactly why Jrue Holiday continues to make so much sense.
This proposed three-team blockbuster solves problems for everyone involved. Dallas lands one of the NBA’s premier two-way guards in Holiday ($34.8M), the Portland Trail Blazers continue surrounding their revamped roster after acquiring Ja Morant to pair with Damian Lillard with Cam Johnson ($23.1M) and Klay Thompson ($17.5M), and the Denver Nuggets finally get meaningful salary relief while adding another dependable rotation player in Naji Marshall ($9.4M).
Proposed Trade Details
Dallas Mavericks Receive: Jrue Holiday
Portland Trail Blazers Receive: Cam Johnson, Klay Thompson, 2027 second-round pick (More favorable of DAL and BRK to WAS then other to MIL (via DET to WAS; via DAL to BRK to DET to MIL); CHI (via WAS to NOP to WAS)
Denver Nuggets Receive: Naji Marshall
Mavericks Add A Veteran, Win-Now Presence
Jrue Holiday may no longer be in his prime, but he still impacts winning. Last season, Holiday averaged 16.3 points, 6.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game while shooting 37.8% from three with a 116.7 defensive rating.
Holiday would immediately become the defensive backbone of Dallas’ perimeter. Kyrie Irving could focus more energy on creating offense (24.7 PPG, 4.6 APG last season), while Cooper Flagg wouldn’t be asked to carry impossible responsibilities as a second-year player.
Holiday has spent years guarding players like Stephen Curry, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Anthony Edwards, and Luka Doncic. That experience is invaluable for a Mavericks team that wants to get better.
Holiday has never needed high usage to be effective, making him an ideal complement alongside Kyrie and Flagg. More importantly, his calmness is exactly what Dallas needs if they want to make the play-in next season.
Trail Blazers Keep Making Moves To Be A Playoff Team
There are exciting times in Portland right now, even if there are reasonable doubts about their roster structure.
Landing Ja Morant by only trading Jerami Grant and Kris Murray without any picks was a smart move. Pairing Morant with Damian Lillard gives Portland arguably the NBA’s most explosive offensive backcourt. But they need experienced wings capable of shooting, defending, and playing complementary basketball.
Cam Johnson is the perfect player. The 30-year-old averaged 12.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.7 steals, and 0.4 blocks per game on 43.0% from three in 54 games last season. He could create even more driving lanes for Morant while giving Lillard ($13.4M) another reliable perimeter option.
Adding Klay Thompson provides another proven shooter with championship pedigree. While he’s no longer the All-NBA player he once was, Thompson can still get it done after averaging 11.7 points, 2.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 38.3% from deep.
For a Portland team that suddenly believes it can compete in the Western Conference, surrounding Morant and Lillard with experienced veterans makes complete sense. A second-round pick is also a nice addition for them as they take on some heavy salary.
After making its splash move for Morant without surrendering assets, the Trail Blazers remain in position to continue upgrading the roster instead of standing pat.
Nuggets Finally Get Cap Relief
Even after waiving Jonas Valanciunas, Denver has significant financial pressure. The Nuggets have been searching for ways to reduce payroll without completely sacrificing their competitiveness, and moving Cam Johnson’s contract is the way to do that.
Naji Marshall isn’t the same caliber of scorer, but he gives Denver something it has consistently valued around franchise cornerstone Nikola Jokic: versatility. Marshall averaged 15.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.1 blocks per game on 29.1% from deep last season. He isn’t the same level of shooter either, but brings an all-around basketball presence at 28 years old.
His physical style also fits perfectly alongside Denver’s core. Marshall is the type of player who often looks even better playing next to an elite passer like Nikola Jokic.
Perhaps most importantly, Marshall earns significantly less ($9.4M) than Johnson ($23.1M), allowing Denver to create meaningful long-term cap relief while still maintaining a playoff-caliber rotation.
A Blockbuster Deal That Makes Sense
For Dallas, they need Jrue Holiday. He isn’t averaging 25 points, but he is trying to form a partnership with Kyrie Irving while helping ease Cooper Flagg into a winning environment. The 36-year-old always plays well in a bigger market, and we don’t expect that to be any different in Dallas with two star-level players.
Portland, meanwhile, deepens its roster around 26-year-old Ja Morant and 35-year-old Damian Lillard with two accomplished veterans who can shoot and bring playoff experience. The Trail Blazers are not too far off from looking like a sincere playoff threat, and adding two sharpshooters could help them get there.
Denver finally addresses its salary concerns without entering a full-scale roster reset. They are still a contender with Jokic on the team, but getting cap relief can help them look at free agency or the trade market to receive more salary to bolster the team moving forward.
