NBA Rumors: As the buyout market gets rolling, we look back at seven of the biggest and best buyout market signings in recent NBA history.
As the NBA Trade Deadline dust continues to settle and with the NBA All-Star break on the horizon, we're going to see the buyout market truly set in across the league. So far, there's been one big move made thus far. After agreeing to a buyout from the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons elected to sign with the LA Clippers for the remainder of the season. As Simmons looks to get a fresh start, the Clippers could be viewed as a worthy landing spot for the once-promising budding superstar.
The Clippers don't necessarily need Simmons to be a season-saver for the team; that's the beauty of the buyout market. If Simmons figures out how to just play a contributing role off the bench, this is a move that will be remembered as a win. In the buyout market, there's not much more you can ask for. As the market is expected to heat up over the next couple of weeks, we take a look back at seven of the biggest, best, and most impactful late-season buyout signings in semi-recent history.
7. Blake Griffin (2021) - signed with the Brooklyn Nets
During the 2017-18 NBA season, the LA Clippers somewhat surprisingly traded Blake Griffin to the Detroit Pistons. While he was a strong player for Detroit for a couple of seasons, injuries continue to take a toll on his career. After failing to find a trade partner for Blake ahead of the 2021 NBA Trade Deadline, the Pistons decided to buy out the final year of his contract. Even though Blake was clearly past his prime at this point in his career, he was a solid player for the Nets for the remainder of the 2020-21 season.
Blake would go on to average 10 points and five rebounds on 49 percent shooting from the field and 38 percent shooting from 3-point range. He emerged as a worthy supporting player next to Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving before they ultimately lost in the Eastern Conference Semifinals to the Milwaukee Bucks (who would go on to win the championship that season). Blake was awarded a one-year deal with the Nets following the 2020-21 season before going on to retire from the NBA in 2024.