Grade the Trade: Mavericks acquire star perimeter defender in mock blockbuster

A massive trade shocked the NBA world on Wednesday, September 27. As the NBA and fans across the country patiently awaited news on the ongoing Damian Lillard trade saga, the Milwaukee Bucks seemingly swooped in and snatched Lillard as the Miami Heat and Portland Trail Blazers never ironed out a trade.

A trade between Portland and Miami loomed for months, as Lillard made it known that Miami was his only preferred destination. Apparently, Milwaukee made Portland an offer they couldn't refuse, with the Suns also sending a valuable asset Northwest.

Grade the Trade: Mavericks acquire star perimeter defender in mock blockbuster

Let's unpack the blockbuster here. Milwaukee receives the aforementioned Lillard. While Portland receives Jrue Holiday, DeAndre Ayton, Toumani Camara, a 2029 first-round pick, and two pick swaps. And, the Suns receive Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little, and Keon Johnson.

The Trail Blazers are finally beginning their rebuild, giving the keys to Scoot Henderson, their second-overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Aside from Henderson, Portland has filled the rest of the roster with some solid pieces.

New Blazer DeAndre Ayton's wish has finally been granted. The big man heads to a young team with more touches to go around. Rather than remaining the fourth option in Phoenix, Ayton can become a go-to scorer in Portland.

And despite shipping out their starting center, Phoenix has received the former Trail Blazer big man Nurkic and a few depth pieces from the Blazers and Bucks, respectively.

However, one player remains on the trade block. Veteran guard, Jrue Holiday, who was shipped from Milwaukee to Portland in the trade. But due to his age and still-appealing skillset, the Blazers will likely send Holiday to a contending squad to recoup additional assets.

That's where the Dallas Mavericks come in. Of course, Holiday is a guard, which Dallas doesn't necessarily need. But, the Mavericks have had their sights set on a perimeter defender ever since the offseason began.

Due to Holiday's impending departure, we'll examine a potential trade involving Dallas and Holiday's newest team, the Portland Trail Blazers.

We'll dive into the trade, now with Dallas in the fold, and grade how each team fares after the whirlwind trade has finally settled.