1. Khris Middleton, Washington Wizards
Over the last few seasons, Khris Middleton is a player who has dramatically seen his play decline. Part of that could be attributed to injuries and I assume part of it is natural decline due to him getting older. As the Milwaukee Bucks closed the Middleton era by including him in a deal for Kyle Kuzma, it's only natural to begin to wonder what his future may hold. I can't imagine there's a long-term plan for him in Washington and because of that fact, he immediately becomes a player who could be bought out over the next couple of weeks.
Middleton missed the bulk of the start of the season as he recovered from offseason surgery, but was averaging 13 points, four rebounds, and four assists on 51 percent shooting from the field and 41 percent shooting from 3-point range for the Bucks. In desperate need to shake up their core, the Bucks decided it was time to move on from Middleton. However, at just 33 years old, Middleton may have something left in the tank to offer a playoff team.
What teams could be a fit for Khris Middleton: If Middleton were to hit the open market, every eligible team to sign him should be interested. Again, this is one of those scenarios where it would be difficult to find teams that would want to pay Middleton but not hard to find teams that want him to be on their roster for the fraction of his current salary price. If he were to agree to a buyout, that would exactly be the scenario. Whether that will end up happening remains to be seen.
Middleton has a player option for next season worth $34 million. He has a big decision to make in that regard and I'm not sure he's made it yet. But if he already knows he's going to decline that option to test free agency, perhaps he could get a jump start on that by agreeing to a buyout to sign with a playoff team now. Even though I don't believe there's a great chance that Middleton will be willing to give up the $34 million he's due for next season, he's the type of buyout candidate that could completely change the market.