NBA Trade Rumors: Mavericks GM Nico Harrison looks at Kyrie Irving fill-in for cheap

The Dallas Mavericks had an interesting season to say the least. From the lows of General Manager Nico Harrison trading away franchise cornerstone Luka Doncic to the team landing the top pick in the draft lottery, fans of the team have been through a roller-coster ride.

While the manner in which the Doncic trade was executed can be debated, there’s no denying that Harrison’s decision had some vision that could have played out differently if not for injuries to Anthony Davis and Kyrie Irving.

Davis went down in his first game with the Mavericks on Feb. 8 with an adductor strain. As the team tried to stay afloat in his absence, the final nail in the coffin came in the shape of Irving’s left ACL tear on March 3 against the Sacramento Kings.

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With Irving likely out for most of the regular season in 2025-26, the team needs a starting caliber point guard who can make do until the one-time champion returns.

The Stein Line’s Jake Fischer reported that “Dallas is looking for a fill-in starter until Irving returns.” While the team likely won’t be able to offer a large contract, it can offer the starting guard spot to begin the season.

Even though the Dallas Mavericks are likely to get a whole lot stronger with the addition of Cooper Flagg as the top pick in the NBA draft, it doesn’t answer their needs at the guard position.

Dallas could draft guard Dylan Harper out of the Rutgers Scarlet Knights instead, but Harrison is very unlikely to go down that road after the flak he received for trading Doncic.

Mavericks could target Boston Celtics' Jrue Holiday

The Dallas Mavericks are in need of a playmaking guard until Kyrie Irving returns and they would want it to be a cheap contract as well. According to Sportrac, the current roster’s total cap hit for the upcoming season is $222,302,441, which is $67 million over the cap space.

Put simply, the Mavs will need to indulge in trades to get a starting-caliber point guard. Jrue Holiday could be a great addition as the Boston Celtics are reportedly looking to reduce their luxury tax for the upcoming season. They are very unlikely to move Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, which makes almost everybody else open for trades.

Holiday is slated to earn $32.4 million in the upcoming season. If the Mavericks are willing to trade some of their assets such as Daniel Gafford, PJ Washington and Dereck Lively II, they could possibly land Holiday.

Holiday, who is already 35, could agree to a renewed contract if Dallas agrees to extend him beyond the 2027-28 season.

While this deal will take some financial wizardry to get done, Holiday fits the mould of players that Nico Harrison likes. The general manager has been vocal about wanting players who are effective on both ends of the floor.

Holiday is one of the best two-way guards in the league and should be a great fit alongside Anthony Davis, Klay Thompson and likely Cooper Flagg.

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About the author

Rajdeep Barman

Rajdeep Barman is a U.S. Sports Editor at Sportskeeda and occasionally writes about basketball. He studied journalism at Mizzou, and prior to working at Sportskeeda, he spent 2.5 years at the Columbia Missourian in the U.S.

He worked as an Assistant Sports Editor and helped cover Mizzou Athletics and local high school sports. There, he formed close professional and personal bonds with The Denver Post's Bennett Durando, OKC Thunder beat writer Joel Lorenzi and Alabama beat writer Nick Kelly.

Rajdeep's interest in the NBA stems from his love for the Golden State Warriors and his appreciation of the team's distinctive playing style, heavily influenced by coach Steve Kerr's inspiration from Barcelona's Tiki-Taka. For Rajdeep, basketball is a platform that fosters community and brings people together.

Rajdeep stays in constant touch with some of the best beat writers in the NBA, which helps him learn and stay closer to the news. Being trained in the AP Handbook, he ensures highest levels of relevance, accuracy and ethics in his content.

When not working for Sportskeeda, he likes to travel, take quizzes and spend time with his partner.

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