With each receiving a new contract, ESPN’s Shams Charania reports that Houston will retain a trio of key veteran reserves for the 2025-26 season.
The Rockets are set to retain a trio of veteran reserves in guard Aaron Holiday, forward Jae’Sean Tate, and forward Jeff Green, per ESPN’s Shams Charania. Holiday and Tate have played with Houston over the previous two seasons, while Tate is the team’s longest-tenured current player — with five seasons of playing experience for the franchise.
Teams are eligible to negotiate with their own free agents in advance of June 30, which is when negotiations can open up around the NBA.
Financial terms were not immediately available, though all are “new contracts,” Charania reports. That seemingly indicates that Holiday’s $4.9-million team option was turned down. Tate and Green were set to enter unrestricted free agency.
As things stand, the top seven players in Houston’s projected 2025-26 playing rotation are Fred VanVleet, Amen Thompson, Kevin Durant, Jabari Smith Jr., Alperen Sengun, Tari Eason, and Steven Adams. Either Holiday or second-year guard Reed Sheppard will be likely be the eighth rotation player as the backup point guard behind VanVleet.
Green and Tate will then be options beyond that, as will Cam Whitmore (if retained). Green has considerable history with Durant, having previously played with the 15-time NBA All-Star in Brooklyn, Oklahoma City, and during their shared 2007-08 rookie season in Seattle.
Statistics from last season went as follows:
- Holiday (28 years old): 5.5 points (43.7% FG 39.8% on 3-pointers), 1.3 steals in 12.8 minutes
- Tate (29 years old): 3.6 points (47.3% FG, 34.8% on 3-pointers), 2.3 rebounds in 11.3 minutes
- Green (38 years old): 5.4 points (50.4% FG, 36.7% on 3-pointers), 1.8 rebounds in 12.4 minutes
Holiday and Tate are also well regarded for their defensive abilities, and all three are respected leaders and mentors in Houston’s locker room.