Another solid candidate is off the board.
Another day, another solid buyout market free agent gone to a non-Los Angeles Lakers franchise.
Don’t worry, there are still some intriguing buyout prospects that could become available for LA to sign to the one available spot on its standard 15-man roster (specifically Will Barton, perhaps some others).
For now, however, 3-and-D swingman Justin Holiday (a Mission Hills native) has opted to sign on with a team that appears to have a clearer path to title contention than the 26-32 Lakers.
Sources inform ESPN’s Brian Windhorst that the 6’6″ vet is latching on with the new-look Dallas Mavericks to be a catch-and-shoot option off the bench, behind the club’s All-Star backcourt of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.
The 34-year-old journeyman was flipped from the Atlanta Hawks to the Houston Rockets in a cost-cutting deadline day deal, and has now reached a buyout agreement with Houston to move elsewhere in the Lone Star State. Through 28 games with Atlanta, Holiday (older brother to Milwaukee Bucks All-Star Jrue) averaged 4.5 points and 0.9 rebounds per game across 14.7 minutes a night. He also provided decent wing defense and connected on 34.5% of his 3.1 triple attempts per contest.
The Mavericks currently stand as the West’s fifth seed at 31-28, but are just 2.5 games behind the third-seeded Kings in a bunched-up conference. LA could use a little more bench shooting help and/or perimeter defense (either along the wing or at the point of attack, frankly), and now will need to look elsewhere for that.
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