Trade & FA 2025-26: Free Agency Starts 5pm CST/6pm EST

[DanSchwartzgan]

I didn't see this posted... sorry if its a repeat.

From Brian Robb:

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2025/05...guard.html

Dallas Mavericks
Proposal: Jrue Holiday and draft compensation for Daniel Gafford, Caleb Martin, Jaden Hardy and Olivier-Maxence Prosper

While I don't mind the trade as is, Holiday's contract is pretty brutal through 2028. It won't be cheap.

First, to put a little more meat on FG's cap comment bone.  You can't trust the trade machine in terms of apron violations because they don't have Flagg in their numbers yet.  We also don't know Kyrie's number yet.  We can presume, but we really don't know.  Boston is a second apron team and can't aggregate outgoing or take extra salary.  Dallas is almost certainly a first apron team under any reasonable assumption about Kyrie and can't take extra salary.  

In the proposed deal Boston gets more back than they send out (which is easy enough to fix with a third team).  Under most presumptions about Kyrie, Dallas ENDS UP over the second apron when the roster is brought up to the minimum number of players.  I think you could fix this by sending out a more expensive player (like Christie instead of OMax) or sending Powell to a third team (again, what is Kyrie making?).

Holiday fits the three year window of the stars.  He can run the show (especially next to Flagg) and guard on-ball (duh on that last one).  He's decent from three.  You can't get all three (run the team well and create, defend and hit three's) without a wart or two.  That salary at that age is a pretty big wart, but it feels like that might be Nico's least worried about wart.  Maybe he wants the whole team expiring simultaneously in three years.

A couple of notes...Boston will want to keep its 2026 pick in a year they are tearing things down.  Dallas might be better served getting their 2027 (or anyone's 2027 that has to convey).  Dallas would then have a pick in each of the next six drafts (after this one) and greater flexibility to trade picks.  Boston has #32 in this draft.  Whether it is that one or someone else's second, second round picks are a BUNCH less expensive now than minimum slots.  In an apron world, the spread is worth pursuing.