Tag: Justin Holiday

Nuggets veteran Justin Holiday shared a powerful quote about how his team restored his belief in the NBA

The Nuggets are so special they’re literally getting guys believing in high-level basketball again.

Veteran Justin Holiday has played for 10 different teams in his extended NBA career, all with varying degrees of competence (and apathy). Seemingly, no one has ever made him believe in the league at its best quite like his current team, the reigning champion Denver Nuggets.

On Monday, as the white-hot Nuggets continued gearing up for a pivotal regular-season stretch run, Holiday was asked about Denver flipping its championship-caliber switch after this year’s All-Star break. He subsequently delivered a powerful speech about his tremendous respect for his teammates’ professional approach to the game and how it’s restored his belief in high-level NBA basketball once more.

It’s well worth a watch as it gives a fantastic insight into the mindset of the defending champions and how they can get everyone to buy into their culture:

 

Holiday would expand on his thought, noting how much he appreciates the trust that his Nuggets teammates like Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have in one another and how that separates them from the pack: 

Man, what else can you say? That is special. As he said himself, Holiday’s been around the league long enough to understand how easy it is to check out on a lousy team that goes through the motions every night. The Nuggets don’t do that. The Nuggets play a selfless brand of basketball that is so engrossing in the pursuit of multiple championships together.

For what it’s worth, Holiday does previously have a ring with the 2015 Golden State Warriors, so he knows what a great NBA team looks like. Chances are, he might add more jewelry to his collection with the Nuggets this year.

Dead money easily tops current money for 2022-23 Houston Rockets

In 2022-23, the #Rockets are spending significantly more money on players who aren’t playing for them than they are for the current team. Here’s a look at how we got here.

As part of the franchise’s rebuilding plan, the Houston Rockets are clearly prioritizing future draft assets and playing time for younger players. Yet, they have to work within the confines of the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement and its salary cap rules.

For example, in the trade sending Eric Gordon to the Clippers for a first-round pick swap in 2023, the Rockets had to take back veterans John Wall and Danny Green for salary matching purposes. Both were quickly waived, allowing them to sign elsewhere while maximizing internal playing time for younger prospects.

Years earlier, in the trade sending Russell Westbrook to the Wizards, the Rockets received a first-round draft pick (eventually used as part of the package to trade for Alperen Sengun) but were required to take Wall back for salary purposes. Eventually, Wall was held out of games and eventually bought out to make room for Kevin Porter Jr.’s playing time as the starting point guard.

That’s led to a dubious situation in 2022-23 in which Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta is spending much more money on players who aren’t playing for his team than he is on those who actually are. (Per HoopsHype’s Yossi Gozlan, the gap is more than $30 million.)

The good news for general manager Rafael Stone is that none of these obligations extend beyond the 2022-23 season, and Houston is currently positioned to have a league-leading figure of up to $60 million in approximate salary cap room this offseason.

For now, courtesy of HoopsHype salary data, here’s a look at who’s on the books for the Rockets. Money spent on players no longer on the roster is widely known as “dead money.”

Rockets open second roster spot with Justin Holiday contract buyout

One day after reaching a contract buyout with Danny Green, the #Rockets have reportedly agreed to another with Justin Holiday. Houston now has two vacant roster spots.

One day after reaching a contract buyout with veteran guard Danny Green, the Houston Rockets reportedly agreed to another with Justin Holiday, per Brian Windhorst of ESPN. Now 33 years old, Holiday plans to sign with Dallas upon clearing waivers, Windhorst reports.

By waiving Green and Holiday, the Rockets have two open roster spots, which could be used to sign other veterans or perhaps to evaluate younger players as another rebuilding season winds down.

Because Green and Holiday’s contracts expire after the 2022-23 season, neither buyout carries any long-term ramifications for Houston’s salary cap picture or other financial planning.

Both Green (in the Eric Gordon trade) and Holiday (in the Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando trade with Atlanta) were acquired by Houston largely for salary matching purposes. The primary incentive to the team in both of those trades was draft compensation.

Though Rockets general manager Rafael Stone said he was open to keeping both Green and Holiday around, the priorities to fill any vacated minutes from the likes of Gordon, Mathews, and Fernando are second-year prospects Josh Christopher and Usman Garuba.

Thus, if Green and Holiday weren’t content with uncertain playing time (if any), it probably wasn’t worth it to the Rockets to keep them against their will to finish out the 2022-23 season on a bad team — especially since they were likely to leave after the year, regardless.

Time will tell on how Stone and the Rockets choose to fill those roster spots. With a short-handed roster thanks to these moves, Houston heads into the All-Star break with games on Monday night in Philadelphia and Wednesday night in Oklahoma City.

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Podcast: Why Rafael Stone and Tilman Fertitta were trade deadline winners

With Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving leaving Brooklyn and Eric Gordon traded for first-round value, the 2023 NBA trade deadline was a successful one for #Rockets management.

The 2022-23 NBA trade deadline came and went, and major changes came with it for the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets.

Veteran guard Eric Gordon is finally with a contender (the Los Angeles Clippers). Reserves Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando are out the door as well (Atlanta). For general manager Rafael Stone, both deals were made with draft capital in mind.

Sunday’s episode of “The Lager Line” (sponsored by Clutch City Lager of Karbach Brewing) explains why Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta deserve praise for what became a successful week for the franchise in its ongoing rebuilding efforts.

The show, hosted by Ben DuBose and Paulo Alves, also explores the ripple effects of Kevin Durant’s Brooklyn departure and whether it should make the Rockets more or less likely to hold those first-round draft assets from the Nets, which last through the 2027 cycle.

Sunday’s full podcast can be listened to below. Each episode of the show is also available via flagship radio station SportsTalk 790, as well as to all major podcast distributors under “The Lager Line.”

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2022-2023 Houston Rockets roster after the trade deadline

Here’s where the #Rockets stand with their roster, coaching staff, and basketball operations department as the 2022-23 season winds down and a critical 2023 offseason approaches.

After the February 2023 trade deadline, the Houston Rockets remain one of the NBA’s youngest teams. Yet, they have something of a veteran presence after adding Danny Green, Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky as part of their complicated web of transactions.

While none has a contract beyond the 2022-23 season, the Rockets will acquire Bird rights for each. Thus, general manager Rafael Stone will have options moving forward.

By and large, the rebuilding Rockets have prioritized youth and salary flexibility in building their current group.

That’s why it’s a combination of highly touted prospects Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun and Jabari Smith Jr. along with veterans Danny Green, Holiday and Kaminsky expiring salaries. Sengun and Smith are on their initial NBA contracts, which inherently makes them cheaper for the time being.

That formula is likely to change this offseason, when Stone and the Rockets have approximately $60 million in salary cap space to build a roster around those talented young prospects. They will need to explore contract extensions and raises for many of their young players in the coming years. For now, they’re making the best of another challenging season by staying flexible with the roster.

Here’s a look at where the Houston roster and basketball operations staff currently stands, along with jersey numbers and other relevant information for each player. All ages are as of Feb. 14, 2023.

Best post-trade deadline Boston Celtics wing buyout targets

Now that the dust has settled and it’s clear the Celtics are looking to add wing depth via a buyout signing, here are our favorite targets.

With the Boston Celtics trading for veteran Oklahoma City Thunder big man Mike Muscala in their sole move at the 2023 NBA trade deadline, the need to fortify the club’s frontcourt has diminished.

But if the team hopes to make the postseason with their star wings healthy and with fresh legs, adding another body off the buyout market to bolster the team’s wing depth ought to be Boston’s next priority.

While it is not yet clear whether the better candidates for what the Celtics are after will even be bought out at the time of writing, we have identified a handful of prospects Boston’s front office ought to be inquiring after.

Larger wings able to play more than one position should be the focus of any buyout signing, and the disabled player exception granted to the team after Danilo Gallinari’s injury gives Boston an edge as a contending squad.

Rockets open to keeping Justin Holiday, Danny Green, Frank Kaminsky

Justin Holiday and Frank Kaminsky joined the #Rockets prior to Friday’s game in Miami, and it sounds as if Danny Green is on the way. All three were acquired at Thursday’s trade deadline.

The primary incentive for Houston’s trade deadline moves sending Eric Gordon to the Clippers and Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to the Hawks was draft capital.

But, the Rockets took back veterans in those trades for salary matching purposes. While former Rockets guard John Wall will be waived — not a surprise, given his recent harsh comments about the team — the status of the other three was not immediately clear.

For rebuilding teams such as the Rockets (13-42), it’s not uncommon for veterans without clearly defined rotation roles to be released late in the season if they are on expiring contracts (which all of these players are).

On Friday, however, evidence emerged that Houston might have a plan for them. Per courtside reporter Vanessa Richardson, who works on Houston’s television broadcasts, Holiday and Kaminsky were with the Rockets at Friday’s game day shootaround in Miami and expressed excitement over joining the team.

Around the same time, general manager Rafael Stone was holding a virtual press conference in Houston to discuss the moves.

While he left the door open for the plan to change, Stone said he had spoken at considerable length Thursday with both Green and Holiday and suggested they could be valuable veteran mentors.

“We added a couple guys who have really been around the league and have wonderful reputations, and great work ethic,” Stone said of the duo, with each potentially boosting Houston’s wing defense and shooting along with those leadership qualities and intangibles.

While Green is not yet with the Rockets, owing to travel issues, he could join the team as soon as Monday’s game at Philadelphia. Coincidentally, that’s where he played last season.

Houston made it clear a Wall reunion is not in the cards. “We intend to waive John Wall,” Stone said succinctly.

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Rockets GM Rafael Stone explains Houston’s trade deadline moves

In Friday’s press conference, #Rockets GM Rafael Stone shared his perspective on Houston’s trade deadline moves (Eric Gordon) and what comes next for the 2022-23 roster and beyond.

In Friday’s press conference, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone shared his perspective on Houston’s trade deadline moves — headlined by a deal sending Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers — and insight on what comes next for the 2022-23 roster and beyond.

Will newly acquired veterans like Danny Green, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky be sticking around? Stone made it clear Friday that Houston is at least open to the idea, though additional conversations will be had with each of those players to determine the right fit.

None of the players acquired by the Rockets has a salary beyond the 2022-23 season, so Houston’s plan to create significant salary cap space in the 2023 offseason remains very much intact.

The rebuilding Rockets also bolstered their stockpile of future draft assets through Thursday’s deadline dealings, both with a 2023 first-round pick swap obtained in the Gordon trade and a pair of future second-round picks (Oklahoma City’s in 2024, 2025) acquired in the deal sending Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to Atlanta.

From a GM’s perspective, here’s insight from Stone on how and why those deals went down at the deadline, along with his plan moving forward as Houston attempts to climb back to NBA relevancy.

Report: After trade deadline moves, Rockets evaluating status of Green, Holiday, Kaminsky

Danny Green, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky were all acquired by the #Rockets on Thursday, but it isn’t yet clear who from that group (if any) will stick around.

The primary purpose of Houston’s trade deadline moves sending Eric Gordon to the Los Angeles Clippers and Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando to Atlanta was to acquire future draft capital.

But to make the math work, the Rockets had to take in comparable salaries to what they sent out. Thus, at least temporarily, enter Danny Green, John Wall, Justin Holiday, and Frank Kaminsky. Yes, that John Wall, the former player who was very critical of the organization in a harsh podcast interview last month.

None have any guaranteed money owed after this season, so it won’t impact Houston’s plans to create salary cap space this summer. And Wall certainly won’t be sticking around, for obvious reasons.

The other three, however, might be. After all, the Rockets sent three players elsewhere in the deal, so they do have open roster spots for the rest of the 2022-23 season. Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes:

There are still ongoing discussions regarding Green, Holiday and Kaminsky. From the outside looking in, holding on to Green and Holiday could be beneficial between now and the end of the season. Both are experienced two-way veterans that could help Houston’s remaining young core over the next few months.

But there’s also the reality that names like Green, Holiday and to a lesser extent, Kaminsky should be attractive on the open market. Green is in the final year of his deal but is an example of a two-way wing the team would pursue this summer, meaning Houston’s brass has to evaluate whether or not it makes more sense to keep him on the roster and get an early look or allow him to latch on with a contender for the playoffs. Green’s been described as a positive locker room presence in the past, but those discussions are ongoing.

Between those three players and Wall, the Rockets technically acquired four players on Thursday while sending out only three. To do so, Houston waived sparingly used veteran Boban Marjanovic, per Jonathan Feigen of the Houston Chronicle. However, the Rockets plan to immediately re-sign Marjanovic to a smaller deal after he clears waivers. In effect, his roster spot remains claimed.

As for the trio of newcomers, the dynamic is similar to when veteran guard Dennis Schroder finished last season with the Rockets after being part of the Daniel Theis trade (with Boston) for salary reasons.

Houston wasn’t going to force Schroder to stick around, since he was an expiring salary and not in their long-term plans. But they were open to keeping Schroder around, should he prove willing to accept a smaller role on a rebuilding team. He did.

It remains to be seen if Green, Holiday, or Kaminsky will be open to such an arrangement, or if they might want an immediate move to either a playoff contender or a team more willing to offer playing time. After all, the Rockets are likely to prioritize any extra minutes for second-year prospects Usman Garuba and Josh Christopher.

If the veterans want to leave, Houston could waive them and perhaps look to other veterans to fill those temporary roles, or perhaps use the roster spots to evaluate younger options from the G League.

Rockets general manager Rafael Stone could offer more clarity when he meets with the media on Friday morning. Stay tuned!

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Podcast: Rockets trade deadline reaction and Eric Gordon’s legacy in Houston

Today’s podcast with @JTGatlin and @BenDuBose features #Rockets trade reaction, with insight on a long-awaited Eric Gordon deal and why it was a win for Rafael Stone and Tilman Fertitta.

The 2022-23 NBA trade deadline is in the books, and major changes came with it for the young and rebuilding Houston Rockets.

Veteran guard Eric Gordon is finally on his way to a contender (the Los Angeles Clippers), while reserves Garrison Mathews and Bruno Fernando are out the door, as well (to Atlanta). For general manager Rafael Stone, both deals were made with future draft capital in mind.

Led by credentialed media members Jackson Gatlin and Ben DuBose, today’s “Locked on Rockets” podcast explains why this deadline should be viewed as a win for Stone and owner Tilman Fertitta.

Discussion topics include the team’s thought process behind all of its deadline dealings; Gordon’s legacy in Houston after spending nearly seven years with the franchise; what rotation changes are likely now that Gordon, Mathews, and Fernando are no longer with the Rockets; and the ripple effects from Brooklyn trading Kevin Durant.

Thursday’s “Locked on Rockets” episode can be listened to via Apple, Google, Spotify, Stitcher, and nearly all major podcast distributors. It can also be watched on YouTube below.

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