Although the LA Clippers do not necessarily have a young core to maximize and keep together, they can observe how other teams develop while adding veterans this summer. This way, when it is the Clippers’ time to rebuild, they will likely have learned a thing or two from their peers.
The Oklahoma City Thunder will, of course, be the epitome of a successful rebuild for the foreseeable future. Still, another team that is not credited enough for making a remarkable jump from a lower-level Western Conference team to one of the best is the Houston Rockets.
Houston went big, rather than going home, and surrounded their franchise center, Alperen Sengun, with nothing but fitting talents like Dillon Brooks and Fred VanVleet in the summer of 2023. These are two veterans with tenacious skillsets who also brought a new type of culture to H-Town following the era of James Harden.
Their draft team also proceeded to thrive with picks such as Amen Thompson, Jabari Smith Jr., Tari Eason, and most recently Reed Sheppard.
Of this group, everyone but Sheppard has received an opportunity to shine. However, that could change next season as the front office could clear minutes for their 2024 third-overall pick by declining the team option of Aaron Holiday.
The LA Clippers should pursue intensified depth with Aaron Holiday as a potential free agent this summer
Within the 52 games that he played, Reed Sheppard showed the Houston Rockets’ front office that they had drafted a future star. This was already on display during the 2024 NBA Summer League, but his regular season showings added the cherry on top.
He averaged only 4.4 points, but he posted double-figure scoring games several times throughout his rookie season and had a career-high 25 on March 3, 2025.
Moreover, to provide Sheppard with the type of action he deserves next season, the Rockets will have to decline the team option of veteran sharpshooter Aaron Holiday, making him an unrestricted free agent.
The Clippers should pursue him on a veteran minimum contract, as he can be a great shooter off the bench. He did have a few questionable campaigns, like his season with the Atlanta Hawks, but he redeemed himself in Houston, averaging 5.5 points in 12.8 minutes while shooting 39.8% from a distance.
Holiday would be of solid depth during the regular season, but when his number gets called in the postseason, head coach Tyronn Lue could desperately use his shooting.