Top 5 buyout candidates: Otto Porter, SF/PF, Orlando Magic
Most of the available players at the buyout this year will be either big men (see all four entries above), or guards and wings of minimal use to a team. Jeff Teague, Austin Rivers and James Ennis fall in this category. No contender is going to move the needle by adding one of those players, more than likely.
Otto Porter is unique in that he is a two-way wing who might hit the buyout market and make a meaningful impact for another team. He would have been traded if he wasn’t finishing out a max contract this year. The Chicago Bulls had largely replaced Porter in their rotation, and he averaged just 21.6 minutes per game.
When he did play he was a solid 3-and-D wing, a step below the output earlier in his career that earned such a contract but still useful to teams. His per-36 numbers come out to 16.5 points and 9.2 rebounds, with predictably solid 3-point shooting (40.0 percent) on 6.3 attempts per-36. He had a positive net rating in his minutes for a team with an overall negative mark for the season.
Who’s Interested? One team that has been rumored to be interested in Porter for some time is the Golden State Warriors. Porter fits a need, the low usage combo forward that can play backup 4 when Draymond Green sits or slides to the 5. The Warriors have been cycling through options at backup power forward, from two-way player Juan Toscano Anderson to second-year player Eric Paschall, but haven’t found anyone consistent. Porter could fill that need, and give the Warriors options this summer when they make a decision on Kelly Oubre Jr.
Any number of other teams could place a call to Porter’s agent if he hits the market. In today’s NBA, who doesn’t want another option on the wing? The Milwaukee Bucks would be an excellent fit, as would the Atlanta Hawks, Utah Jazz or Denver Nuggets. The New Orleans Pelicans would be an intriguing fit, as he could be a replacement option this summer if Josh Hart’s market is too hot.
There are plenty of other buyout candidates leaguewide, from Gary Clark to Wayne Ellington to the already available DeMarcus Cousins. History tells us it’s rare for such a player to swing the title race, yet it has happened. These players can change teams and make an impact in the story of this season. In one of the craziest seasons in league history, it seems fitting to expect a veteran carousel could mean something come the playoffs.