The Sacramento Kings are lucky to acquire Richaun Holmes, especially since he was not a priority for them.
With NBA players looking to play for different teams last summer, the Sacramento Kings were in the thick of free agency as they had money to spend. Ready to add talent to the roster was Vlade Divac with a list of players to target. On the top of his list of priorities was Dewayne Dedmon to replace Willie Cauley-Stein at the starting center spot. Next up was a veteran backup point guard in which Cory Joseph was the ideal solution for that need. Lastly, the Kings needed a solid wing player in which they got Trevor Ariza for that role.
Sacramento did not acquire a top-tier free agent, but instead, they spent their money wisely by addressing multiple needs that the team had. Needless to say, the new additions have made this season’s roster the most complete in quite some time.
For the first time since Vivek bought the Kings, he had a talented roster from the top to the bottom. With the offseason pretty much concluding, it looked as if the front office had achieved their goals. Little did we know, however, that there was one more person who would join the team. Like we all predicted, Richaun Holmes has been the guy from their free-agent pickups that has made the biggest impact for Sacramento so far.
The consensus around the league about Holmes was that his rim protection, pick-and-roll offense, and his relentless motor would garner interest among NBA teams. According to basketball insider Alex Kennedy, teams that had interest in Holmes were the Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, and Milwaukee Bucks.
In the 2018-19 season, Holmes had a solid year with the Phoenix Suns as he averaged around eight points, five rebounds, and one block per game. All of that while playing around 17 minutes a game.
History shows that every time Richaun steps on the floor, his impact is immediately noticeable. Bringing his blue-collar style of play has made him a popular figure within the Kings fanbase. Especially since the Kings and Holmes are only on a two-year contract worth around $10 million, it has made him such a valuable commodity for the team. It was the unexpected gift that many fans thought was too good to pass up.
Richaun Holmes has received interest from the Los Angeles Lakers, Milwaukee Bucks and Chicago Bulls (his hometown team), according to sources. Holmes averaged 8.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.1 blocks in 16.9 minutes last year with the Phoenix Suns.
— Alex Kennedy (@AlexKennedyNBA) June 30, 2019
Final Thoughts
In prior seasons, Vlade has kept the Kings’ salary cap in his mind wanting flexibility for the future. However, Divac signaled that the future is now. The time to spend money to surround the young core with talent was this season.
Ready to take the next step and make the playoffs, Divac signed guys like Dedmon, Joseph, and Ariza hoping they would be key assets towards the team’s run for the playoffs. But instead, it has been Holmes that has made the biggest impact.
Sactown is fortunate to have Holmes, especially at an inexpensive price. With his ability to showcase relentless energy and to protect the rim, it has helped Luke Walton make his push for a defensive identity.
It does not take much to make Kings fans happy. They just want players who love to play basketball and showcase it through their effort. Based on how Holmes has played this season, he has done exactly that and is now a fan favorite.