The veteran finished the season in Sacramento with good outings beyond the arc.
Welcome to Kings In Review, where we’ll recapping the season for every player that ended the season in Sacramento.
Justin Holiday has spent his NBA tenure as a journeyman, mostly recently joining the Sacramento Kings this last February in the Indiana Pacers trade. In the 25 games he played for Sacramento, Holiday averaged 8.3 points, 2.2 rebound and 1.5 assists.
The veteran’s performances with Sacramento weren’t exactly reflective of what he’s been able to accomplish throughout his career, but one thing that has remained tried and true for the oldest Holiday brother is his consistency beyond the arc. In his prior 49 games with the Pacers, Holiday was shooting 37.8% from three-point range, and in half those games in Sacramento it lowered slightly to a modest 34.2%. On the final day of the regular season, he scored 19 points on 5-of-6 shooting from behind the arc.
In losing Tyrese Haliburton and Buddy Hield, the Kings had a major hole to fill in the shooter that simply wasn’t answered by Holiday — which no one was inherently expecting — but at the same time certainly wasn’t helpful in play-in hopes.
On the roster that is currently constructed, keeping Holiday makes sense for the “3-and-D” kind of player that the Kings are desperately manifesting. However, the opportunity to acquire a younger, more fitting talent might make more sense for Sacramento, and possibly moving Holiday into a bench role or as a trade asset at large. If Monte McNair’s primary goal this offseason (outside of finding a coach) is to bring in shooters who can stretch the floor to fit alongside the Fox and the Ox, it seems likely like Holiday’s NBA journey will continue elsewhere.
At this time next year, Holiday will become an unrestricted free agent after finishing his final season of a 3 year, $18 million contract, and at the age of 34, Holiday will not necessarily fit the timeline of development and competition that Sacramento is looking to build upon.