According to Shams Charania, a well-known journalist for The Athletic, Washington Wizards center Richaun Holmes has turned down a $12.8 million player option on his contract next season. However, he will also remain with the Wizards, who will sign a two-year, $25.9 million contract that expires in the summer of 2026, with only $250,000 of the $13.3 million contract worth the 2025-26 season guaranteed.
According to previous reports, Holmes intends to exercise the player option in his contract next season, but it looks like the Wizards management has a good hand in this regard. They wanted to make the most of Holmes' contract and make it possible for both Holmes and the Wizards to benefit from it, so they came up with a new package. Holmes' $12.6 million contract next season looks like $200,000 less than his $12.8 million player option, but he adds another $250,000 to his 2025-26 contract, which was due to expire next summer. In other words, looking at the overall security portion, Holmes made a total of $50,000 more through this signing. And from the Wizards' point of view, they have more leeway. If Holmes is doing reasonably well next season, then the Wizards could also consider sending him away as a bargaining chip. Even if Holmes didn't do well, they only owed $50,000.
Before the trade deadline this season, the Wizards made a deal with the Dallas Mavericks, who sent Holmes to the Wizards and traded Daniel Gafford from the Wizards. With the Mavericks lacking a first-round pick, they brought in the Oklahoma City Thunder as a third party in the deal. The Thunder sent their 2024 first-round pick to the Wizards and traded the 2028 Thunder and Mavericks for a first-round pick swap from the Mavericks. After joining the Wizards, Holmes played a total of 17 games for the team, averaging 18.7 minutes per game, averaging 7.1 points, 6.1 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game, shooting 55.7% from the field, 33.3% from three-point range and 84.6% from the free throw line.
Holmes's previous performance with the Mavericks and with the Sacramento Kings has declined significantly, which is a big factor in the Mavericks' choice to send him away. But after joining the Wizards, with the increase in playing time, Holmes's performance has also improved significantly, and it seems that he is not as competitive as everyone imagined. For the Wizards, they may also think that Holmes can be salvaged again, which should be the reason for their operation, right?