Aaron Holiday Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Rockets Notes: PGs, Finney-Smith, Thompson, Adams, Green

September 29th, 2025 at 2:22pm CST by Luke Adams

In the wake of Fred VanVleet‘s ACL tear, Rockets head coach Ime Udoka doesn’t expect a single player to take over the veteran point guard’s responsibilities.

“A committee, all of the above,” Udoka said when asked about Houston’s point guard plans, suggesting that Amen Thompson, Reed Sheppard, and Aaron Holiday could all play increased on-ball roles (Twitter link via Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle). That was already the plan for Thompson and Sheppard, but it will be “expedited a little bit” with VanVleet unavailable, Udoka added.

The Rockets’ coach also pointed out that players at other positions like Alperen Sengun and Kevin Durant will be relied upon to initiate the offense more frequently.

Here’s more out of Houston:

New Rockets forward Dorian Finney-Smith, who is coming off ankle surgery, said he has been running but didn’t specify a timeline for his return, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who says Finney-Smith hasn’t been fully cleared for basketball activities and will likely miss the start of the regular season.
After earning an All-Defensive first team spot and finishing fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024/25, Thompson said on Monday that his goals heading into ’25/26 are to make an All-Star team and to win a title, per William Guillory of The Athletic (Twitter link).
While general manager Rafael Stone indicated that the Rockets may still take a cautious approach with Steven Adams on back-to-backs to open the season, the veteran center said his knee feels good entering training camp (Twitter link via Lerner). “I feel ready, I feel confident with it,” said Adams, who sat out all of 2023/24 season while recovering from knee surgery.
Asked on Monday if he envisions himself coaching once his playing career ends, veteran forward Jeff Green dismissed the idea. “Hell nah,” he replied, according to Guillory (Twitter link).
In case you missed it, Kevin Durant said on Monday that he expects to sign a contract extension with Houston at some point. We have the full story here.

Rockets Notes: VanVleet, Sheppard, Thompson, Bostic

September 23rd, 2025 at 3:00pm CST by Luke Adams

While the Rockets could turn to the trade market as they explore ways to replace Fred VanVleet following his ACL tear, half of their roster is currently ineligible to be dealt, and several other players are unlikely to be moved. Free agency also isn’t an option for Houston at the moment — although the Rockets have an open 15th roster spot, they don’t have enough room below their first-apron hard cap to sign a free agent to a minimum-salary contract.

Given that context, Houston will likely have to stay in house to replace VanVleet, at least for now. Danielle Lerner of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required) considers the team’s options, suggesting that Reed Sheppard, Amen Thompson, and Aaron Holiday could all take on increased ball-handling responsibilities.

In Lerner’s view, Sheppard has the skill set that’s the closest to VanVleet’s in terms of three-point shooting and play-making. While Thompson is capable of handling the ball, Lerner believes the Rockets want to be able to take advantage of his off-ball movement rather than making him their primary distributor.

Exploring what the Rockets are losing as a result of VanVleet’s injury, Lerner points out that the veteran point guard is an underrated defender and screener who led the team in deflections per game (3.1) last season and had more screen assists per game than any non-center on the roster.

Here’s more on the Rockets:

According to Dan Woike of The Athletic (Twitter link), people he has spoken to were already expecting Thompson to have a larger on-ball role even before the VanVleet injury. Chris Mannix of SI.com echoes that sentiment, suggesting that Thompson could get a chance to become Houston’s lead play-maker. As Mannix notes, Thompson recently told SI.com that improving his play-making was a priority this offseason.
John Hollinger of The Athletic believes the Rockets could be in trouble without VanVleet and questions some of the roster moves the front office made this offseason, such as acquiring Clint Capela. According to Hollinger, the team loaded up on its frontcourt while leaving itself with little cap flexibility or reliable backcourt depth. Still, if there’s a silver lining, it’s the fact that Thompson and Sheppard will get a chance to sink or swim in increased roles, Hollinger writes. If they thrive with those added responsibilities, it would give the Rockets more reasons for optimism going forward.
Josh Bostic, who has been a player development coach in Houston for the past two seasons, is being promoted to an assistant coach role, reports Kelly Iko of Yahoo Sports (Twitter link). A longtime professional basketball player in non-NBA leagues, Bostic will presumably be taking the spot formerly occupied by Mike Moser, who accepted a job on David Adelman‘s staff in Denver.

Rockets Finalize Minimum Deals With Aaron Holiday, Jeff Green

July 10th, 2025 at 10:42am CST by Luke Adams

July 10: The Rockets have put out a press release officially confirming their new deals with Holiday and Green.

June 30: The Rockets have agreed to bring back guard Aaron Holiday and forward Jeff Green on one-year, minimum-salary contracts, reports Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

The news doesn’t come as a surprise, given that word broke on Friday that Houston intended to re-sign both players – along with free agent forward Jae’Sean Tate – to deals at or near the veteran’s minimum. Tate reached a one-year, $3MM agreement with the club earlier today.

Holiday, who has spent the past two seasons in Houston, had a solid season in 2024/25 as a backup point guard, averaging 5.5 points, 1.3 assists, and 1.3 rebounds per game on .437/.398/.829 shooting. However, his playing time dipped — his 12.8 minutes per game represented a career low.

While the Rockets still like Holiday, they wanted to bring him back on a more team-friendly deal than his previous contract, so they turned down his $4.9MM team option and will now carry a $2.3MM cap hit for the 28-year-old in 2025/26.

Green also played less than ever in 2024/25, averaging a career-low 12.4 minutes per game in 32 appearances. However, he’s a respected veteran locker-room leader and held his own in his limited role, with averages of 5.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG and a .504/.367/.808 shooting line.

Rockets Plan To Re-Sign Aaron Holiday, Jae’Sean Tate, Jeff Green

June 27th, 2025 at 2:43pm CST by Luke Adams

2:43 pm: Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle (subscription required) confirms that the Rockets will decline Holiday’s option and have tentative agreements in place to retain Holiday, Tate, and Green.

She adds that the team expects to have its full non-taxpayer mid-level exception available, which points toward Landale being waived before his $8MM salary becomes guaranteed, though that hasn’t been confirmed yet.

12:26 pm: The Rockets don’t intend to let guard Aaron Holiday, swingman Jae’Sean Tate, or forward Jeff Green walk in free agency, according to Shams Charania of ESPN (Twitter link). Charania reports that Houston’s plan is to bring back all three players, re-signing them to new contracts.

While Tate and Green are headed for unrestricted free agency, the Rockets hold a team option on Holiday worth roughly $4.9MM. Charania’s report suggests Houston plans to turn down that option in order to bring back the 28-year-old on a new deal.

Holiday, Green, and Tate have all spent multiple seasons with the Rockets, but played fewer minutes in 2024/25 than they had in the past as the team’s young core continued to come into its own.

Holiday averaged 5.5 points and 1.3 assists in 12.8 minutes per game across 62 appearances, with a .437/.398/.829 shooting line; Tate logged a career-low 11.3 MPG in 52 games, contributing 3.6 PPG and 2.3 RPG; and Green put up 5.4 PPG and 1.8 RPG in 12.4 MPG across 32 outings (three starts).

Despite their modest roles, it seems as if Holiday, Tate, and Green still hold real appeal to the Rockets, though I wouldn’t be surprised if all three players return on minimum-salary contracts. Tate’s deal will be for one year, likely at the veteran’s minimum, confirms Kelly Iko of The Athletic (Twitter link).

As cap expert Yossi Gozlan tweets, bringing back the trio on minimum deals would allow Houston to hang onto Jock Landale‘s $8MM contract and stay out of tax territory. The big man’s salary is scheduled to become guaranteed if he remains under contract through Sunday.

If Landale is let go, the Rockets could use a chunk of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception without going into the tax.

Latest On Kevin Durant Trade

June 23rd, 2025 at 11:06am CST by Arthur Hill

Kevin Durant had reason to believe that a trade was close before news broke Sunday that he was headed to the Rockets, writes Forbes contributor Adam Zagoria. Durant was in the midst of an interview with reporter Kay Adams at Fanatics Fest in New York City when audience members saw the first reports of the deal on their phones (Twitter video link).

“I had an idea (about the trade), but I didn’t know exactly when it was going to happen,” Durant said. “You know, when people can just hang your career in the balance like that and then just choose what they want to do with your career, it’s a nerve-wracking feeling but being able to kind of dictate what you want to do and being with a team that values you, I’m looking forward to it.”

Durant is being counted on to bring much-needed scoring punch to Houston and turn the team into a legitimate title contender. The Rockets won 52 games and claimed the second seed in the West this season, but their inability to generate half-court offense was exposed in a first-round loss to Golden State.

Houston was among three teams on Durant’s list of preferred landing spots, and he admitted to Adams that he played a role in determining where he ended up.

“Most definitely, yeah,” he said. “(The Suns) asked me where I wanted to go, some of my destinations. I gave it to them and here we are.”

Durant is looking forward to a new start after a disappointing two-plus seasons in Phoenix. There was hope that he could take the Suns back to the NBA Finals after being acquired from Brooklyn at the 2023 trade deadline, but they only won a single playoff series during his time there and fell short of the play-in tournament this season.

Durant countered Adams’ suggestion that “there’s a lot of heartbroken Suns fans.”

“I doubt that,” Durant said. “They wanted me to go so I’m glad they got what they wanted and I got what I wanted. We can move on, good luck to them going forward, and I’ll always remember my time there.”

There’s more on the Durant deal:

The trade that was reported Sunday could get “much larger” before it becomes official on July 6, states John Hollinger of The Athletic. He notes that the Suns have nearly two weeks to negotiate deals with other teams involving Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks or any of the draft assets they’re getting from Houston. Meanwhile, the Rockets could pick up their $4.9MM option on Aaron Holiday and guarantee Jock Landale‘s $8MM deal for next season to help match salaries while adding another player from a third team. Cap expert Yossi Gozlan also believes there’s a “strong chance” the deal will be expanded to include more teams (Twitter link).
The Suns may have considered the No. 10 pick in this year’s draft to be more valuable than the 2027 and 2029 Phoenix picks that Houston also holds, Hollinger adds. The Suns are looking for immediate help, and Hollinger notes that finding a contributor in the draft would take away some of the worst-case scenarios they might be facing. Phoenix may also put more stock in having a guaranteed lottery pick right now than a possible high selection later on. Hollinger also points out that keeping the Suns’ future picks frees up the Rockets to move their own first-rounders in 2027, 2028, 2029, 2030 and 2032 if the chance arises to land another major star.
The Spurs had been considered among the favorites to trade for Durant and were one of the teams on his list, but they never made an offer, according to Phoenix sports talk show host John Gambadoro (Twitter link).
Handing out grades for the deal, ESPN’S NBA insiders give the Rockets a B+ and the Suns a B.

Rockets Rumors: Adams, Lopez, VanVleet, Holiday, Durant, More

June 3rd, 2025 at 9:18am CST by Luke Adams

A handful of Rockets veterans, including Steven Adams, Jeff Green, and Jae’Sean Tate, are headed for unrestricted free agency this summer. Of those UFAs, Adams is viewed as the team’s “clear priority,” sources tell Kelly Iko of The Athletic.

That doesn’t necessarily mean that Green and/or Tate won’t be back, but they may be minimum-salary options for Houston, whereas it will almost certainly take more than that to re-sign Adams, who became an important part of the club’s rotation late in the season. The Rockets are operating under the assumption that the veteran center wants to return, Iko writes, and are expected to continue talking to him about a new contract.

Adams is extension-eligible now and could be signed to a new deal prior to free agency, but if the two sides can’t work something out, Houston may circle back to Brook Lopez, team sources tell Iko. Lopez was a top Rockets target during the 2023 free agent period and came close to making the move to Houston at that time before deciding to remain in Milwaukee.

The Rockets also hold team options for 2025/26 on a pair of guards: Fred VanVleet ($44.9MM) and Aaron Holiday ($4.9MM). The expectation is that VanVleet will return to Houston, either on his team option or on a new contract, Iko writes. The Rockets are also interested in retaining Holiday, but that doesn’t necessarily mean his option will be picked up — the club may wait to get a better sense of how its offseason and the league-wide market are playing out before making a decision on the reserve guard, Iko explains.

Here’s more from Iko on the Rockets:

While Houston would like to keep its young core together, the team is willing to consider the possibility of a significant trade. Giannis Antetokounmpo is considered a top target, though it remains to be seen whether the Bucks will actually make him available, Iko writes. The Suns, conversely, have made multiple calls to the Rockets since the end of the season about the possibility of a deal that sends Kevin Durant to Houston and sends some of the Suns’ draft assets back to Phoenix, team sources tell The Athletic. The asking price for Durant has been “gradually lowered” over the course of those calls, according to Iko, who says the Rockets would be interested if the price is modest enough, despite their desire to keep their core intact.
The Rockets also anticipate having trade conversations with the Celtics‘ front office this summer, given Boston’s reported desire to reduce its payroll, says Iko.
The expectation is that Reed Sheppard will have a “vastly expanded role” in 2025/26 after playing sparingly as a rookie, Iko reports. The Rockets remain very high on last year’s No. 3 overall pick, viewing him as a player whose floor-spacing abilities can help in the short term and whose long-term ceiling is high.
Houston has received inquiries from rivals about former first-rounder Cam Whitmore, as well as this year’s No. 10 overall pick, per Iko. The Rockets remain optimistic about Whitmore’s outlook and potential rotation role, and neither he nor his representatives have asked for a change of scenery, so nothing is imminent on that front, Iko reports. As for this year’s lottery pick, Houston is open to discussing a variety of scenarios, including trading down, trading out of the first round, or packaging that pick with a player to upgrade the roster.
Although the Rockets’ front office is expected to engage in rookie scale extension negotiations with Jabari Smith and Tari Eason this offseason, team sources tell Iko that the club would be comfortable with the idea of matching an offer sheet for either player in 2026 if no agreements are reached this year.

Rockets Notes: Offensive Woes, Green, Holiday

April 22nd, 2025 at 9:51pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Rockets scored just 85 points in Game 1 of their first-round series against the Warriors. That has to change dramatically for the higher-seeded Rockets to win the series, Michael Wright of ESPN notes.

“Some guys did struggle offensively — you’re not going to overreact to one game,” coach Ime Udoka said after Sunday’s loss. “But if guys do play better, we have a chance there. Ten-point loss and like I said, holding somebody to 95; it was an offensively poor showing. The defense was good enough. But I’m not going to overreact to that game. It’s some of those guys’ first times and we had our chances.”

Game 2 will be held on Wednesday.

Houston’s Game 1 offensive performance can’t be easily dismissed, according to Kelly Iko of The Athletic. The Warriors are led by stars Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler, who have many years of playoff experience and can create offense when needed, while the Rockets simply don’t have a player like that on their roster.
Jalen Green, who averaged 21 points per game during the regular season, shot 3-for-15 from the field and scored seven points in the series opener. He was also limited to two assists. “They went after him some, but he played in the crowd a little bit too much,” Udoka said, per Jonathan Alexander of the Houston Chronicle. “It’s not really the turnovers as much as the shots in the crowd where you have to find your outlet … When he has isolations, you’ve got to find your outlet. That’s going to be a big key in this series.”
Udoka might expand his eight-man rotation in Game 2 to include Aaron Holiday, an above-average three-point threat. “Yeah, we were considering it last game,” Udoka told Danielle Lerner of the Houston Chronicle. “That unit in the third quarter was running well and so we went with them, stuck with them, but Aaron’s played well against them. Obviously, not just the shooting, his physicality and aggressiveness on defense helps as well. And so yeah, we’re not just tied down to our guys. I think a big part of it was finding the rhythm with our guys and kind of sticking with them through their first experience in the playoffs. That’s part of it, no doubt but yeah Aaron’s had a great series against Golden State.”

Southwest Notes: Davis, Mavs, Rockets, Fox

February 7th, 2025 at 7:03pm CST by Luke Adams

Star big man Anthony Davis is on track to return from his abdominal strain and make his Mavericks debut on Saturday, having been officially listed as probable to play in Dallas vs. the Rockets.

As Tim MacMahon of ESPN details, it’s expected to be a charged environment in Dallas, where a protest is planned from fans angry about the decision to trade away franchise player Luka Doncic. Davis said on Friday that he “can’t control” how fans will react, but that he understands why they’re upset about the trade.

“Obviously it’s a business, and I get who Luka was to this franchise, to the city,” Davis said. “I’m never going to downplay that — just how I know what I meant to the city of L.A. So I’m not surprised by the fans’ reaction and the city’s reaction, but it’s my job to come in and play basketball and do what I’m supposed to do and give the fans hope and reassurance on why [general manager] Nico [Harrison] brought me here.

“…I understand who Luka is and what he’s able to do and what he’s already done for our game. He’s a phenomenal player, going to be one of the best to ever play the game of basketball. But to have Nico trade for me just shows his belief in me and what I can do on the floor. It’s my job to produce every night and have Mavs nation believe that as well. So I’m excited for the challenge.”

While it’s no surprise that some Mavs fans have handled news of the Doncic/Davis trade poorly, “lines have been crossed,” according to MacMahon, who said during a TV appearance (Twitter video link) that Harrison has received threats and faced racial epithets.

Sources tell MacMahon that the team has beefed up security for Saturday’s contest and that Harrison – who has employed his own personal security – won’t be in his usual seat for the game.

Here’s more from around the Southwest:

Mavericks head coach Jason Kidd said on Thursday that he envisions a starting lineup that features P.J. Washington at small forward and Davis at power forward alongside a center (Twitter link via Mike Curtis of The Dallas Morning News). When Dereck Lively is healthy, he may be the team’s starting five, but until then, Daniel Gafford will likely get that assignment. Washington, who has missed the past three games due to right knee soreness and personal reasons, is off the injury report and should be available on Saturday.
Rockets officials expressed for months leading up to Thursday’s deadline that they planned to stick with their current roster making than making any major in-season deals and they stuck to that plan this week, as Kelly Iko of The Athletic writes. Reports have suggested Houston wants to see how its young core performs in the postseason before making any major roster decisions — head coach Ime Udoka reiterated that point on Thursday. “We like what we have,” Udoka said. “We’ve been doing OK and feel we can do a lot better. (We) want to continue to grow as a group, watch our young guys develop, play in big situations and see what we have.”
Citing team and league sources, Iko reports that the Rockets received calls this week on Jae’Sean Tate, Jock Landale, Aaron Holiday, and Steven Adams, all of whom are on expiring or pseudo-expiring contracts. However, Houston didn’t feel compelled to make any move that would compromise the team’s depth, according to Iko, who says Tate generated the most interest of those four players.
De’Aaron Fox‘s 24-point, 13-assist Spurs debut on Wednesday in a tight win over Atlanta provided a compelling case for the star guard’s fit in San Antonio, writes ESPN’s Michael C. Wright. “Selfishly, as a coach, I think that’s probably about as complete of a game you’d hope for the first game,” acting head coach Mitch Johnson said. “You saw the potential. It’s tantalizing. He’s dynamic. He’s going to unlock a whole different element for our team.”

Southwest Notes: Gafford, Popovich, A. Holiday, Morant

November 23rd, 2024 at 8:42pm CST by Arthur Hill

The game is more difficult for the Mavericks with Luka Doncic sidelined, but they’re finding ways to win without their injured star, writes Grant Afseth of Dallas Hoops Journal (subscription required). Daniel Gafford played an important role Friday night with 13 points, six rebounds and three steals as Dallas kept its hopes of advancing in the NBA Cup alive with a victory at Denver. Gafford was one of seven Mavs to reach double figures as the team extended its winning streak to four.

“Just paying attention to detail a lot more,” Gafford said about playing without Doncic. “You’ve got to be near perfect when it comes to offense, but honestly, just stay the same as when he was here—taking care of business, having good spacing, and making sure the right guys have the ball in their hands.”

Gafford seems to be fully accustomed to playing for coach Jason Kidd after being acquired from Washington at last season’s trade deadline. He’s averaging a career high 12.6 points per game and leading the NBA with a 70.8% shooting percentage.

“I’m just getting better as the days go by,” Gafford added. “It’s about having patience and trying to expand my offensive game to make more plays. Teams are blitzing and switching more, so I’m figuring out how to make the right passes and take advantage of mismatches.”

There’s more from the Southwest Division:

Warriors coach Steve Kerr offered enc0uraging words about Spurs coach Gregg Popovich before tonight’s game in San Antonio, per Tom Orsborn of The San Antonio Express-News. Kerr said he communicates frequently with Popovich, who has been away from the team since suffering a mild stroke on November 2, and “the doctors are feeling great about all of that.” Kerr has also been impressed by interim coach Mitch Johnson, who served as an assistant on Team USA this summer. “Mitch is really smart, a great teammate in the coaches’ room,” Kerr said. “He was a big part of all our conversations pre and post practice. He is a really good coach, good guy. I know Pop loves him and feels very strongly about what a good coach he is, and that’s what I saw in Las Vegas (during training for the Olympics).”
Rookie Reed Sheppard and veteran Aaron Holiday have earned spots in the Rockets‘ rotation by providing reliable three-point shooting, observes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle. Over a recent seven-game stretch, Holiday shot 45.5% from beyond the arc and Sheppard was at 38.9% as both guards are seeing more playing time. Holiday chose to re-sign with Houston in free agency this summer because he likes the city and believes in the future of the team, even though he knew his minutes might decrease.
Grizzlies guard Ja Morant is missing his eighth straight game with a hip injury tonight, but coach Taylor Jenkins told reporters that he’s been able to do some on-court workouts and continues to make progress (Twitter link from Michael Wallace of Grizzlies.com).

Southwest Notes: Grizzlies, Zion, Luka, Washington, Rockets

September 20th, 2024 at 2:10pm CST by Rory Maher

Star point guard Ja Morant believes back-to-back college Player of the Year Zach Edey will have a strong debut season in the NBA, per Damichael Cole of The Memphis Commercial Appeal. Edey, who played four years at Purdue, was selected by the Grizzlies with the No. 9 overall pick in June’s draft.

“Definitely rookie of the year,” Morant said of his expectations for Edey. “I think easily, too.”

As Cole writes, Edey worked out with his new teammate earlier this summer and Morant came away impressed.

“For him to come in and say he wants to work out with me and then getting through the workout throughout the whole week, it was big-time for him,” Morant said. “It made me excited to have him on the team. His skill set is even much better.”

Here’s more from the Southwest:

Morant was suspended for the first 25 games of last season, played nine games, and then suffered a shoulder injury which required season-ending surgery in January (Memphis went 6-3 with him and 21-52 without him). However, he was cleared for contact work in early July and is fully healthy ahead of training camp, according to Tim MacMahon of ESPN. Morant estimated he was at 75% strength in late July. Fellow Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart, who was limited to 20 games last season due to a litany of injuries, also makes ESPN’s list of key player returns to monitor for 2024/25, as does Pelicans forward Zion Williamson, who is fully recovered from the left hamstring strain he suffered late last season, per Andrew Lopez.
Jack Tien-Dana of RealGM weighs the pros and cons of Mavericks star Luka Doncic being physically stronger and heavier than he was when he first came in the league, writing that the 25-year-old and Dallas will need to “reconcile a series of contradictions” to get the best out of the All-NBA guard deep in the playoffs.
In a subscriber-only story for his Substack, Dallas Hoops Journal, Grant Afseth says Mavericks forward P.J. Washington could be the team’s “X-factor” heading into 2024/25. In order to optimally complement Doncic and Dallas’ other starters, Washington will need to become a more consistent outside shooter, Afseth observes. Washington entered last season with a career mark of 36.6% from three-point range, but shot just 32.0% from beyond the arc in ’23/24.
The Rockets brought back Jeff Green and Aaron Holiday because they showed they could be productive when called upon last season despite having inconsistent roles, writes Jonathan Feigen of The Houston Chronicle (subscription required). The two veterans are also valued for their leadership, Feigen notes. The Rockets opted to guarantee Green’s $8MM salary for 2024/25, while Holiday re-signed with Houston on two-year, $9.6MM deal in free agency.