NBA Trade Rumors: Massive 3-Team Blockbuster Proposal Sends Out 2 Celtics Champions
The Boston Celtics are looking to shave plenty of salary this summer to get under the dreaded second apron which is, essentially, an 'intense penalty zone' for teams to be in. The Dallas Mavericks are in need of a point guard to replace, and then work alongside, the injured Kyrie Irving.
Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report has come up with a massive three-team blockbuster proposal that would address both of those issues. It includes the Brooklyn Nets as well, and looks like this:
- Dallas Mavericks receive:
- Jrue Holiday (from Celtics)
- $3 million trade exception (Olivier-Maxence Prosper)
Boston Celtics receive:
- Daniel Gafford (from Mavericks)
- PJ Washington (from Mavericks)
- Drew Timme (from Nets)
- $32.4 million trade exception (Holiday)
- $2.5 million trade exception (Xavier Tillman Sr.)
- $2.4 million trade exception (Neemias Queta)
- $2.2 million trade exception (Porziņģis)
Brooklyn Nets receive:
- Kristaps Porziņģis (from Celtics)
- Dwight Powell (from Mavericks)
- Olivier-Maxence Prosper (from Mavericks)
- Xavier Tillman Sr. (from Celtics)
- Neemias Queta (from Celtics)
- 2026 protected first-round pick (from Celtics)
- 2027 first-round pick swap (from Celtics)
The Mavericks are trying to land Jrue Holiday, per insider
Jrue Holiday would be just what the Mavericks would be looking for:
a starting point guard who could run the team while Irving spends the
first half of the season recovering from his torn ACL, then providing an elite
defensive presence in the backcourt to cover for Kyrie on that end of the floor,
once he returns. Insider Marc Stein has already noted that Dallas is "expected to
at least explore" a way of landing Holiday this summer.
And as Pincus notes, the players that Dallas would give up in this hypothetical deal,
Gafford, Washington and Prosper, "are luxuries for the Mavericks after they landed
the No. 1 overall pick, presumably Cooper Flagg".
The Celtics would free themselves of over $230 million in salaries, getting well under the
second apron, while bringing in a reasonable, capable big man in Gafford.
PJ Washington offers some scoring to help replace some of the offense going out the door.
The Nets would be "investing further in a rebuild," writes Pincus, and could even flip
the expiring contracts (Porzingis, Powell, Tillman) they would be receiving for
more assets.
Photo: © Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images
