Celtics quietly hold final piece of Mavericks' Infinity Gauntlet to rule the NBA

With the incoming addition of Cooper Flagg, the Dallas Mavericks have a roster that is one piece away from true title contention.

Kyrie Irving is the scoring guard capable of putting the team on his back. Anthony Davis is the prototypical two-way big to complement Irving. Flagg's exceptional defense, cutting, passing, and finishing will enable the rookie to have an immediate impact as a third star. P.J. Washington, Daniel Gafford, Dereck Lively II, and Naji Marshall provide an ideal supporting cast for these stars.

But the Mavericks desperately need help in the backcourt to fit next to Irving and Klay Thompson. This player needs to be a lockdown defender who can space the court and beat mismatches. This archetype is always in short supply, but Jayson Tatum's tragic Achilles tear has likely made two of these players available in Boston via trade: Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

The Mavs should trade for one of the Celtics' elite two-way guards

The Boston Celtics won the 2024 NBA title in large part due to their wealth of pesky defenders who can score when necessary. These players are so valuable in the modern NBA because they limit the opposition's best player while also forcing them to only play competent defenders.

Jrue Holiday has been traded twice in his career. Holiday won an NBA Finals the year after each trade, proving to be the final piece for the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks and 2024 Celtics. NBA stars, including Kevin Durant and Damian Lillard, often cite Holiday as the hardest defender to score on. Holiday's defensive versatility is arguably his most valuable trait, locking down 6-foot-10 power forwards and 6-foot-2 point guards.

Unlike other defensive stalwarts, teams have to respect Holiday by defending him with a competent defender. In Game 2 of the 2024 Finals, Holiday scored 26 points on 11-14 shooting from the field and grabbed 11 boards, both team highs. When stars Tatum and Jaylen Brown struggled, Holiday came through to deliver a crucial win for the Celtics.

Derrick White has developed into the next Jrue Holiday. White has been a member of two All-Defensive teams and finished 8th in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2023. Similar to Holiday, White can guard the 1-4 at an elite level, with former Mavs star Luka Doncic naming White as a top-three defender in the league (alongside Holiday).

White is also an offensive talent who demands attention from opposing teams. His strength, 3-point shooting, and offensive IQ would make him a valuable addition to any offense. The Mavericks, in particular, could use this skillset to punish teams with only one capable guard defender.

The Mavericks desperately need either Holiday or White if they plan to make a title push during the Irving-Davis era. With Jayson Tatum likely missing the majority of the 2025-26 season, these players are now available for a trade. Holiday would be the easier piece to acquire due to his age and less favorable contract.

The Mavs seem to have two paths forward. Either they trade Davis and look to build a core around Flagg, or they try to win with the current roster. With Nico Harrison at the helm, the Mavericks almost certainly will opt for the latter strategy. The current roster is certainly a playoff team, but is missing the final backcourt starter to challenge the top tier of NBA talent.

If the Mavericks are serious about contending for a title, they must push their chips in for either Holiday or White.