Wizards Waive Richaun Holmes

The Washington Wizards parted ways with veteran big man Richaun Holmes after two fragmented seasons with the team.

Mar 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes (22) shoots a free throw against the Chicago Bulls during the second half at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images | Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards said goodbye to Richaun Holmes on Monday, with the team's PR account on X announcing that they'd requested waivers on the veteran center.

The nine-year veteran arrived to his fourth team in the Wizards at the 2024 trade deadline, where Washington traded Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for longtime center Holmes and a first round draft pick that they later spent on Kyshawn George. Holmes went on to appear in 48 games in one and a half seasons with the team, averaging 7.3 points on 61% from the field.

He signed a two-year, $25.9 million contract to stay with the Wizards last summer, though he was only guaranteed $250,000 of the money remaining on his expiring contract. The team would have had to guarantee the whole thing had he stuck it out in Washington until Jan. 10 of next year, but roster constraints forced the front office to release the big man.

The move comes days after the Wizards signed their only two free agents of the summer, bringing Tristan Vukcevic and Margin Bagley III back as center depth behind Alex Sarr. They, too, had experience playing in D.C., but the older Holmes was a victim of Washington's overflowing roster.

The move bumps the team down to 17 players on the active roster, two above the maximum with all three of their two-way slots filled up. The Wizards still have some work ahead of them in clearing the books.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!