Every year the NBA trade deadline passes by, and teams have to decide whether to meet their need with the best available trade package or hope to snag one of the players who comes available in the days afterward. Sometimes the perfect player accepts a “buyout” to become a free agent and hits the market ready to help a team with its playoff push.
The NBA trade deadline was both more exciting than expected and ultimately somewhat of a letdown. The Orlando Magic kicked things off with a bang, executing three trades to officially begin a rebuild they refused to embrace for years. Yet the deadline itself saw contenders playing chicken over Kyle Lowry until the Toronto Raptors decided to pack up and go home. With Lowry staying put, no star-level players changed hands.
Now that the NBA trade deadline has come and gone, who are the top five buyout candidates set to hit the market?
Some teams did shore up needs, however. The Denver Nuggets found their replacements for Jerami Grant and Mason Plumlee, both departed in free agency this past summer, by trading for Aaron Gordon and JaVale McGee respectively. The Boston Celtics added another wing in Evan Fournier. The Miami Heat brought in Nemanja Bjelica and Victor Oladipo. The Portland Trail Blazers swapped out Gary Trent Jr. and Rodney Hood for Norman Powell.
Now the deadline is passed, and teams that still want to make improvements have to look to the buyout markets. Some big names who weren’t moved are sure to hit the market in the coming days; other players who were moved simply as matching salary could be cut free from their new teams as well.
There are no perfect players heading to the buyout market, but there never are. Even so, NBA history tells us that teams can find useful pieces even at this point in the season. The Brooklyn Nets began shopping early, adding Blake Griffin weeks ago. Which teams will follow suit? And what players are likely to come available in the coming weeks? Let’s start with the one player who came available immediately after the deadline.