Why the Rockets' Eventual Loss of Aaron Holiday Will be Bigger Than Expected

Anthony Duckett | Jun 19, 2024

Apr 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Houston Rockets guard Aaron Holiday (0) moves the ball against Los Angeles Clippers guard Xavier Moon (22) during the first half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports / Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

The Houston Rockets' offseason of 2023 was one of drastic change. The Rockets were ready to put an end to their rebuild and were undergoing a changing of the guard.

In was former Boston Celtics coach Ime Udoka, who was nabbed as the replacement for Stephen Silas. The Rockets identified a need for improvement on the defensive end and Udoka's area of special

Unsurprisingly, the Rockets added viable defenders, such as Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet. Udoka also wanted the franchise to add veterans with championship experience, paving the way for Jeff Green to join the young ball club.

One of the Rockets' final free-agent pickups was Aaron Holiday, who was the Rockets' third point guard. Buried so far on the depth chart, Holiday wasn't expected to have a major role.

However, Holiday found his way into Udoka's closing lineups early into the season, as Jalen Green struggled with inconsistency. Holiday became one of the team's best shooters, as he made 38.7 percent from deep.

Rockets beat writer, Kelly Iko of The Athletic, recently predicted the franchise to move on without Holiday.

"I think Aaron Holiday will leave the Rockets this summer.".

Holiday outplayed his vet-minimum deal, providing the Rockets with long-range shooting and good decision-making. Not to mention his clutch gene, which helped the franchise single-handedly defeat the New York Knicks.

Holiday will surely be picked up by a different franchise this summer, which will be a significant loss for the Rockets, especially considering how little they were paying him.

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