NBA: Exploring the five best buyout candidates that could emerge now that the 2023 NBA trade Deadline is officially in the books.
The NBA Trade Deadline has officially come and gone. After weeks upon weeks of speculation, there was plenty of action that took place over the last few days, leading up to a chaotic last few hours of the deadline. You can catch up with what transpired at the NBA Trade Deadline in our rundown here.
As is the case after every trade deadline, there are still a few players that will likely switch jerseys. There are always players that are acquired at the deadline that won’t stay with the teams that make a move for them. The next phase in the NBA calendar is known as the buyout market.
The NBA’s buyout market could prove to be interesting
As long as a player is waived by March 1, they are eligible to sign with a playoff team. The group of players that are waived between now and March 1 is most commonly known as the buyout market. And that is what will fuel the transaction period over the next few weeks.
In honor of that, we explore the five-best buyout candidates.
Honorable mentions
Serge Ibaka – Serge Ibaka is likely a player that is going to receive some interest if he hits the buyout market heading into the final few weeks of the regular season. And after being traded to the Indiana Pacers, I have a hard time believing that he’s a player that the team is going to keep on the roster moving forward.
He’s a player that could offer some frontcourt depth for a playoff team looking for some.
Danny Green – Danny Green is another player that hasn’t seen the floor much during the season and most of that was due to injury, but he’s a veteran 3-and-D player that could perhaps catch onto a playoff team during the second half of the season.
That’s of course is if he’s bought out by the Houston Rockets.
George Hill
It seems that almost every year George Hill is one of those players that is either moved at the NBA trade deadline or is a buyout candidate for a playoff team that is looking for a veteran presence in the backcourt. Ironically enough, Hill might fall into both of those categories this season.
After being traded to the Indiana Pacers, it’s highly unlikely that he’s going to be kept on the roster heading into the stretch run. And at this point in his career, it simply wouldn’t make sense for the Pacers to hold onto him. Even though I’m not sure that he would play a great role for a playoff team, he is a player that could provide some veteran guidance to the locker room.
He’s also a player that you can relatively trust in difficult spots in the backcourt if he does have to play. He is a player to keep an eye on over the next few days and the next couple of weeks as teams begin to sort out the buyout market.
John Wall
When the LA Clippers acquired John Wall during the offseason, it was met with almost universal applause. The thought was that Wall was going to be a good gamble for the Clippers and that he could possibly emerge as a player that would offer much-needed depth to the team’s backcourt.
However, for one reason or another, it simply didn’t work for Wall while in LA. Even though he showed flashes of potential during his time with the Clippers, he was not consistent enough to play a meaningful role for the team.
Instead of keeping him on the roster, the Clippers elected to use him in the trade package that landed them Eric Gordon. Wall now finds himself backing Houston, but it would be highly surprising if the Rockets didn’t buy him out.
Patrick Beverley
In a last-minute move, Patrick Beverley was traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Mo Bamba. The latter will give the Lakers another big body that they could hopefully lean on heading toward the push toward the playoffs. However, that leaves Beverley in an interesting spot in Orlando.
Could the Magic use another guard? Sure, but I have a hard time believing that he’s going to remain in Orlando. I believe that the Magic made this trade under the belief that Beverley and the team would agree to a buyout. That will be in the news soon.
Beverley is probably not a starting-caliber point guard at this point in his career anymore. Or at least not in a full-time role, but he could provide some veteran experience and some depth for a playoff contender. He should be a sought-after commodity on the buyout market.
Reggie Jackson
Reggie Jackson had a great career revival during his time with the LA Clippers but it was time to move on. And that’s exactly what the Clippers did at the NBA Trade Deadline when they traded him during their backcourt retooling.
It’s already been reported that the Charlotte Hornets and Jackson are expected to work on a buyout. Whether or not it comes to fruition remains to be seen, but it’s likely something that makes the most sense for both sides.
If Jackson does hit the buyout market, the expectation is that there will be a healthy market for him. In a reserve role, there is some value in Jackson. During his time with the Clippers this season, Jackson averaged 11 points and four assists per game on 35 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He should be able to find a soft landing spot over the next few weeks.
Will Barton
According to a recent report, the expectation is that the Washington Wizards and Will Barton are going to agree to a buyout agreement. And if that is indeed so, Barton should get solid interest in the buyout market from teams looking to make an addition on the wing heading into the playoffs.
Barton didn’t get a ton of minutes for the Wizards this season but he is just one year removed from being a productive player for the Denver Nuggets. This season in Washington, Barton has averaged eight points and three rebounds on 37 percent shooting from 3-point range.
He struggles defensively so it’s unlikely that he’ll play a major role on any team that signs him but he could provide some depth. And he can still shoot at an effective rate, which he has proven this season in Washington.
Russell Westbrook
Over the past few years, Russell Westbrook has gotten a bad reputation. And much of it is unwarranted. And it was no different when he was officially traded away from the Los Angeles Lakers. But he’s shown growth over the last couple of seasons.
He was open to coming off the bench or the Lakers and, for the most part, was good in that role for the team. One of his biggest sins is that he doesn’t fit great on many teams at this point in his career, mostly due to the way he plays basketball. He doesn’t have a consistent jumper. Oh well. That doesn’t mean that he still can’t play some kind of role for a team at this point in his career.
Westbrook is likely going to catch on with a team heading toward the final push toward the playoffs. Here’s to hoping he lands on a team that appreciates him more and one that he can have a defined role with moving forward.