Former Sacramento Kings Center Signs With International Team

Holmes averaged 7.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.4 assists on 17.2 minutes per game last season. He had a great 64.7% field goal percentage, which has always been a calling card for the athletic big, but only played in 31 games for the Wizards.

Holmes got put in a difficult position with the rebuilding Wizards last season, who were looking at their young talent more than giving Holmes a chance to impact the game.

While Holmes hasn't played for the Kings since the 2022-23 season, he remains a fan favorite among many in Sacramento. He also enjoyed arguably his best years in the NBA with the Kings.

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In four seasons in Sacramento, Holmes averaged 10.4 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks on 64.4% from the field. He topped out at 14.2 points per game in the 2020-21 season, where he started all 61 games he played in.

With his patented push shot and high energy, Holmes provided a high-efficiency option for the Kings at the center position and excelled in the pick-and-roll.

Holmes joined the Kings as the potential backup to Marvin Bagley III, but took hold of the starting spot six games into the 2019-20 season and never looked back. He especially excelled with Tyrese Haliburton, which comes as no surprise, given that Haliburton is one of the best in the game at setting up his teammates.

That is, until the Kings traded for Domantas Sabonis. Holmes moved to the bench role and never seemed to find his footing with the new offense. Holmes was ultimately traded to the Dallas Mavericks with the 24th overall pick in 2023 to open up cap space for Sacramento.

He played for both the Mavericks and Wizards following his departure from Sacramento, but was in and out of the rotation through the two seasons.

Now, heading overseas, Holmes will likely get back on the court in a featured role, especially given that he's becoming one of the highest-paid players in Europe.

Holmes will reportedly make $2.7 million next season and is on a 1+1 year contract. It's about the same Holmes likely would have made in the NBA on a veteran minimum deal, but now will get to play more with Panathinaikos.

Holmes may be a few years removed from his time in Sacramento, but he will likely have fans who continue to follow his career now that he's moving overseas.