Wizards former big man took no time to prove his value finding a new home

Richaun Holmes has found a new basketball team.
Mar 11, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes (22) is ejected from the game for an elbow to the face of Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) (not pictured) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images
Mar 11, 2025; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Washington Wizards forward Richaun Holmes (22) is ejected from the game for an elbow to the face of Detroit Pistons forward Ausar Thompson (9) (not pictured) during the second half at Little Caesars Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Reginek-Imagn Images | David Reginek-Imagn Images

Richaun Holmes has signed a deal to become one of the highest-paid players in Europe after his run in the NBA comes to an end, at least for now.

The Washington Wizards have welcomed new faces this offseason and in turn they were forced to cut ties with some familiar names.

One player the Wizards opted to let go this offseason is big man Richaun Holmes, who landed in Washington during the 2023-24 season in the deal that sent Daniel Gafford to the Dallas Mavericks ahead of the NBA trade deadline.

Holmes played limited minutes with the Wizards over the last two seasons, suiting up for only 48 games and starting in 15.

This past season, Holmes played in 31 games, averaging 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.4 assists across 17.2 minutes per game.

Entering the offseason, the Bowling Green product was viewed as a trade candidate for the Wizards to depart with, largely due to the fact the team is focused on building towards the future and at 31-years-old, Holmes simply just doesn't fit the timeline.

As a former second-round pick by the Philadelphia 76ers, Holmes has stacked together a solid resume bouncing around the league serving as a reliable big man in both a starting role and reserve piece when needed.

Despite that, Holmes has opted to put his NBA career on pause to continue chasing his dream overseas after signing a deal with Panathinaikos to play overseas in Europe next season.

Holmes joins a trend of NBA players who have decided to try their hand at overseas basketball careers over the recent years with Patrick Beverly being the most noteworthy.

Not to mention, former Wizard center Jonas Valanciunas nearly opted to do the same this offseason prior to the Denver Nuggets urging him to honor the rest of his contract to serve as the backup for Nikola Jokic in 2025.

Regardless if Holmes was the most talented player on the court, he made a name for himself in each city he played for over the years as not only a great teammate, but also a fan favorite.

He'll take that skillset overseas to Europe, where he'll likely find a much larger role on the court with a chance to prove just how talented he is and potentially resume his career in the NBA next offseason.

As for the Wizards, they'll head into the 2025 season with a frontcourt made up of Alex Sarr, Marvin Bagley III and Tristan Vukcevic.