Aaron Holiday

Aaron Holiday grew up in a basketball household — older brothers Jrue and Justin both reached the NBA — and carved out his own lane as a combustible on-ball defender. The 23rd pick in 2018 out of UCLA, where he led the Pac-12 at 20.3 points a game, he's settled in as the kind of backup point guard coaches trust to shift a game's tempo without the ball in his hands. He picks up full court, fights over screens, and hits enough catch-and-shoot threes to stay honest offensively. Since landing in Houston in 2023, he's filled a steady rotation role for a young, defensive-minded roster — the low-maintenance veteran every deep team needs. He isn't asked to score in bunches; his value lives in the possessions the box score never quite captures.