Tag: aaron holiday

Rockets sign Aaron Holiday

The Houston Rockets have signed free agent guard Aaron Holiday.

Holiday (6-0, 185) was originally the 23rd overall pick by Indiana in the 2018 NBA Draft. In five seasons for the Pacers, Washington, Phoenix and Atlanta, he has appeared in 308 games with 62 starts while averaging 6.6 points, 2.2 assists and 1.6 rebounds in 17.2 minutes per game. Holiday is also a career 84.1% shooter from the foul line.

Dating back to 2019-20, Holiday has shot 38.6% from 3-point range, including a career-best 40.9% for the Hawks in 2022-23. Over that four-season span, he was one of four players with 130-plus games played to have averaged at least 6.0 ppg and 2.0 apg in fewer than 19.0 mpg.

Holiday’s older brothers, Justin and Jrue, have both been in the NBA for over 10 seasons. Justin was briefly with the Rockets last February. Aaron earned First Team All-Pac-12 and Pac-12 All-Defensive Team honors in his final season as a junior for UCLA in 2017-18.

Atlanta Hawks sign Aaron Holiday

The Atlanta Hawks have signed free agent guard Aaron Holiday.

Holiday comes to Atlanta from the Phoenix Suns, where he appeared in 22 games (one start) averaging 6.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 3.4 assists in 16.3 minutes (.411 FG%, .444 3FG%, .939 FT%). He was acquired by Phoenix on Feb. 10 in a trade with the Washington Wizards. In total, the 6-0 guard saw action in 63 games (15 starts) during the 2021-22 season, notching 6.3 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 16.2 minutes of play (.447 FG%, .379 3FG%, .868 FT%). His .447 field goal percentage marked a career-high clip from the floor.

He scored 10-or-more points 18 times this past season and dished out five-or-more assists on 12 occasions. In a win over the Los Angeles Lakers on March 13, Holiday swiped a career-high four steals, in addition to 12 points, four rebounds and five assists in 24 minutes as a reserve.

Drafted by the Indiana Pacers with the No. 23 overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, Holiday has appeared in 245 games (56 starts) over his four-year career, owning averages of 7.3 points, 1.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 18.2 minutes (.412 FG%, .373 3FG%, .840 FT%). He has also seen action in 13 playoff games (two starts), recording 4.4 points and 1.5 assists in 8.1 minutes (.550 FG%, .556 3FG%). During the 2022 NBA Playoffs, Holiday tallied a .517 mark from the field (8-14 FGM), including a .714 clip from three-point territory (5-7 3FGM) in six games played.

The UCLA product appeared in 101 games (65 starts) over his three-year collegiate career (2015-18), averaging 14.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists in 31.7 minutes (.450 FG%, .422 3FG%, .795 FT%). He concluded his Bruins career ranked No. 25 on UCLA’s all-time scoring list with 1,443 total points.

Born in Ruston, Louisiana, and raised in Southern California, Holiday is the youngest of four siblings. His two older brothers, Justin and Jrue, both play in the NBA, while his sister, Lauren, played on the UCLA women’s basketball team from 2012-14.