Richaun Holmes always had a love affair with Mavs

Even from afar, Richaun Holmes always had an affinity for the Mavericks. And because the Mavs made the move to trade for his services in July, he sees this as a match made in basketball heaven.

“I think this has always been a place or organization that I’ve  loved since I was a basketball fan coming up,” Holmes said. “So, to actually be here and see this place and see the Dirk (Nowitzki) statue outside, it’s truly amazing.

“It’s a full circle moment, so I’m just looking forward to being here.”

Holmes has been in the NBA since the Philadelphia 76ers made him a second-round pick out of Bowling Green in 2015. He played three years for the Sixers, one season for the Phoenix Suns (2018-19) and the past four years for Sacramento before joining the Mavs over the summer in a trade with the Kings that also brought rookie Olivier-Maxence Prosper to Dallas.

While playing elsewhere, Holmes always felt this connection to the Mavs, which is why he’s been very eager to put down some stakes in North Texas.

“Dallas fans been showing me love on social media and things like that for a few years now, so I’ve been excited to be here and I’m looking forward to it,” he said. “There were a lot of Dallas fans showing love in my (social media) mentions.

“It made me feel good, especially during that time. It feels good to be here and I’m looking to putting on a show for them.”

Holmes was keen on joining the Mavs for another reason, too.

“I think for me it was honestly Dirk, just watching him growing up,” he said. “The way he played the game.

“I was used to a bunch of big athletic guys dominating, and you’ve got a seven-footer dominating with the jump shot. That was an amazing thing to watch during that time. It just drew me to the city and the organization.”

Holmes (6-10, 240) had his best year during the 2020-21 season when he averaged career highs in scoring (14.2 points), rebounds (8.3 boards), blocked shots (1.6 blocks), and minutes (29.2 minutes), and also shot a healthy 63.7 percent from the field for Sacramento. In addition, he averaged 12.3 points and 8.1 rebounds, and shot 64.8 percent from the floor in 28.2 minutes during 2019-20, and averaged 10.7 points and seven rebounds while making a career-high 66 percent of his shots in 23.9 minutes during 2021-22.

However, when the Kings secured Domantas Sabonis in a trade with the Indiana Pacers on Feb. 8, 2022, Holmes saw his role change and his minutes drastically reduced.

“I think just playing in the pick-and-roll, that’s been one of my strengths since I got in the league and I think in Sacramento it was a different play style with Domantas and the things he’s doing over there,” Holmes said. “He’s been great for that team.

“And like I said, that’s the reason I got to get in the gym and work on turning weaknesses into strengths as well as expanding on my strengths. So, I think playing in the pick-and-roll and rebounding, those are some things I can bring to this team for sure.”

For Holmes, he believes getting a change of scenery at this point in his career is a godsend.

“It’s going to be very beneficial, especially the way this organization has wrapped their arms around me trying to get me better, trying to get me to where I need to be,” he said. “It’s going to be great and I’m looking forward to the year.

“Whatever the team needs, whatever capacity they need me in, I’ll be ready to go for sure.”

Holmes will turn 30 years old on Sunday, and he said the opportunity to play alongside superstar guards Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving gives him a viable chance to compete for an NBA championship.

“With the two superstars you have on this team, (winning an NBA title is) a goal that’s attainable,” Holmes said. “So, that is something I took in my mind while I was training. They’re going to make the game so easy.

“I’ve been seeing it with Luka and Kyrie in training camp. They command so much defensive attention, you kind of just forget the other guys are there sometimes. I’m very competitive and I try to make my mark on the defensive end, so I’m looking forward to competing on that (offensive) end as well.”

After losing a pair of preseason games to Minnesota in Abu Dhabi last week, the Mavs will play Real Madrid in Madrid, Spain, on Tuesday at 1:45 p.m. CT. It’s another opportunity for Holmes to show how he can fit in with this squad.

“I worked my butt off to get myself into the shape I feel like I need to be in,” he said. “And I’m definitely looking forward to stepping on the court and showing what I’ve still got.”

X: @DwainPrice