WASHINGTON — The Washington Wizards have some very exciting news. The team announced on Thursday that it has acquired center Richaun Holmes and a 2024 first-round pick from the Dallas Mavericks in exchange for center Daniel Gafford.
“We welcome Richaun to our organization and look forward to him adding depth and a veteran presence to our frontcourt,” said Wizards General Manager Will Dawkins. “We were also able to add a first-round pick in the upcoming draft, which is in alignment with our strategy to continually increase our flexibility and move further toward our long-term goals.”
Officials say Holmes (6-10, 240) has appeared in 441 career games (163 starts) over eight-and-a-half seasons for Dallas, Sacramento, Phoenix, and Philadelphia, holding averages of 8.6 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks while shooting .605 from the field. He has averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds while shooting .559 from the field in 23 games (two starts) for the Mavericks this season. The 30-year-old is one of five players in the NBA to have shot .550 or better from the field in every season since 2016-17.
Before getting picked up by Dallas in a trade from Sacramento in July 2023, Holmes averaged 12.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting .646 from the field and .788 from the free throw line during his first three seasons with the Kings. That stretch included the 2020-21 season, where he posted career highs of 14.2 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.7 assists while starting all 61 games in which he played. Holmes was selected 37th overall by Philadelphia in the 2015 NBA Draft.
Gafford was acquired by the Wizards from Chicago as part of a three-team trade in March 2021. He played in 218 games (145 starts) in three-plus seasons with Washington, averaging 9.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting .704 from the field.
“We appreciate what Gaff brought to our organization and our community as a Wizard,” said Dawkins. “The development he made during his time here is a reflection of his work ethic and commitment, and we wish him the best as he takes the next steps in his career.”
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