After the Kyrie Irving news broke, a Celtics star was named in a possible trade with the Mavericks.

Kyrie Irving, a former star for the Boston Celtics, will miss a significant amount of time in the 2025–26 season due to a ruptured anterior cruciate ligament.

Even though Irving should return this season, he may not play again for a few months after tearing the ligament in February. The Dallas Mavericks will be a playoff contender this season thanks to Anthony Davis and, by extension, Cooper Flagg; nevertheless, they will require a backcourt anchor until Kyrie Irving returns.

The Celtics have Jrue Holiday on their team who could be useful in that area. While Holiday isn’t exactly a match for Irving on the court, he may serve as a suitable replacement and, even better, a solid complement if Irving gets back to the team.

Jay King of The Athletic broke the news that Holiday will be available for trade while outlining why the Mavericks are Holiday’s ideal suitor.
There will be a market for (Holiday),” King wrote. “Among other teams, the Mavericks could make a lot of sense…His team could use an extra ballhandler while Kyrie Irving recovers from a torn ACL and a defensive-minded backcourt presence to play alongside Irving once he returns.”

Even if the Mavericks and Celtics have the necessary contracts to make the trade work, the Celtics would only consider trading Holiday for a significant financial savings. Since Dallas lacks the salary cap flexibility to assist Boston in saving money, a third club would most likely be engaged in any trade talks involving Holiday between the two teams.