NBA: Top 5 buyout candidates after the trade deadline

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Top 5 buyout candidates: Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Houston Rockets

If highly-priced veterans unwanted by their current teams are the first category of buyout candidates, players traded as matching salary are the second primary one. That fits Kelly Olynyk, who was traded from the Miami Heat to the Houston Rockets as part of the Victor Oladipo trade.

On the surface, it’s not clear that Oladipo will help the Heat more than Olynyk, as the 6’11” big man was a valuable stretch big and Oladipo has struggled to be more than a high-volume chucker the past two seasons. Even so, the Heat took a shot at his ability to recover his old form and sent Olynyk packing.

Olynyk tries hard on defense, but his major calling card is on the offensive end. A career 36.5 percent 3-point shooter, he has launched a career-high 7.6 3-point attempts per 36 minutes this season. In the final year of his contract, the cellar-bound Rockets may agree to buy him out and save room in the rotation to try out their young pieces.

Who’s Interested? League rules prevent Olynyk from simply returning to the Miami Heat, trick teams used to use to have their cake and eat it too. His old team, the Boston Celtics, could be an option, as they moved Daniel Theis and could look for another big man in their rotation.

The Phoenix Suns are a prime option, as they are positioned to make a real push this season and could use an upgrade at the backup center position. Cutting Frank Kaminsky and replacing him with Kelly Olynyk would give them a more dependable option for the stretch run. Look for the Portland Trail Blazers and Charlotte Hornets to be discussed as well.