(Translator's note: The author of this article is American NBA journalist Sam Quinn, and the content of this article does not represent the views of the translator.) ）
The NBA's buyout market is usually predictable, with some veterans slightly bloated contracts to countdowns after the deadline. Their respective teams will try their best to send them away before the deadline, but it is often not easy. In a few days, some of the famous players who are highly sought after by various teams will usher in "freedom".
This season is similar to the past, some veterans have long been doomed to be bought out, of course, there will be some surprises, some players will appear in the buyout market unexpectedly due to the lack of places in their respective teams, or potential small conflicts. After that, the players I listed will not necessarily be bought out, and even some of them will not be candidates for buyouts at all, or will be cut directly. But these players are the most meaningful part of the buyout market this year.
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Schroeder (Rockets) played in 49 games, averaged 29.2 minutes per game, had 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 0.8 steals, shooting 34.9% from three-point range.
Schroeder was ridiculed by fans for a long time after rejecting the Lakers' $84 million contract extension last season. Few players in NBA history are in a position to be bought out the following year after receiving such an offer. Schroeder was sent to Houston before the deadline, and now he's in a very strange situation.
Two years ago, he won the second-most vote in the Sixth Man of the Year awards. On the offensive end, he has always been an unstable shooter and often can't control his desire for shots. But his speed is absolutely daunting, a player who can really tear apart the opponent's defensive system.
Schroeder has the potential to be one of the best buyout players in NBA history. After sending Divinzenzo away and losing Connaughton (a fractured fourth metacarpal bone in his right hand, expected to return before the end of the regular season), Milwaukee may be very interested in Schroeder. There are also rumors that the Lakers want to work with Schroeder again, but the Lakers are actually the most important defender. For the Rockets, keeping Schroeder won't put any pressure on the team. But as a veteran who wants to fight for a contract for himself, Schroeder will definitely ask for playing time, which is a bit incompatible with the Rockets that are rebuilding and focusing on cultivating young people, so a buyout is very likely.
DJ-Augustine (Rockets) played in 34 games, averaged 15 minutes per game, had 5.4 points, 1.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 0.3 steals, shooting 40.6% from three-point range.
It has been previously reported that in order to reach a deal with the Celtics, the Rockets will buy out Augustine to free up a roster. Augustine's projection has improved considerably after a disastrous season in Milwaukee, but at his age (34), whichever team wins him will only be seen as an alternate veteran on the bench. He's already having a hard time helping any team too much, and those playoff teams shouldn't pay too much attention to him.
Gary Harris (Magic) played in 50 games, averaged 29.4 minutes per game, had 11.4 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.9 steals, shooting 38.1% from three-point range.
In the nuggets' final seasons, Harris completely forgot how to shoot. But after coming to Orlando, he rediscovered the states that once made him one of the NBA's highest-paid leading guards. Harris will have a role on the offensive end and his defense remains effective against most league guards. If he wanted to leave Orlando and Magic wanted to save some money with this buyout, it would happen. Harris has the strength to be a rotation in a playoff team.
Dragic (Spurs) played in five games, averaged 18 minutes per game, had 8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1 steal, shooting 28.6% from three-point range.
It was only a matter of time before Dragic was bought out, he had always wanted to be free while in Toronto, and after coming to the Spurs, his wish was finally coming true. Because of their friendship with Doncic, the Lone Rangers are seen as the team most likely to get Dragic. But the Heat, Lakers, Bucks are also worth paying attention to, there are reports that Dragic is training in Miami recently, the Bucks are still due to the reasons mentioned earlier, the desire to strengthen the guard line is very strong. The Lakers are looking for everything they can to help the team change the situation.
Bledsoe (Blazers) played in 54 games, averaged 25.2 minutes per game, had 9.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.3 steals, shooting 31.3 percent from three-point range.
At present, Bledsoe is unlikely to be bought out, only $3.9 million in his contract next season is guaranteed, the Blazers do not have the pressure of a luxury tax this year, Portland management should wait until the offseason to see if they can send him away through a deal, if still no one cares, it is more reasonable to consider a buyout next season. But everything can change, and if the Blazers are determined to invest all of their playing time in developing young people, it may also happen that Bledsoe returns to Milwaukee.
Wall (Rockets) has not played this season
The Rockets have not talked to Wall about a buyout in months, and according to previous reports, Wall is not willing to lose any penny in the buyout agreement, which has put the negotiations between the two sides on hold for a long time. Now that the trading deadline has passed, the possibility of exchanging Wall for Wei Less is no longer possible. Will talks between Wall and the Rockets reopen? Probably not, after all, neither the Rockets nor Wall are in a hurry. But once Wall enters the free market, he will be the object of coveting by many teams. Even though his physical condition has declined, there have been rumors of the Heat and clippers' intentions for him. Wall actually did quite well in Houston last season, and he still has the ability to play the main rotation in most team point guard positions, but his injury risk is too huge, and his good momentum with the Rockets last year was also due to injuries.
Westbrook (Lakers) played in 56 games, averaged 34.6 minutes per game, had 18.3 points, 7.8 rebounds, 7.6 assists and 1.1 steals, shooting 30.1% from three-point range.
Well, I cheated, there are actually only 18 buyout candidates in this article. There is no possibility that the Lakers will buy out Wei Shao in the world line we are in, and buying out Wei Shao will make the Lakers saddled with several years of meaningless expenses again. The Lakers will try to trade him out in the offseason because the contract is about to expire and the difficulty of trading will be reduced a lot.
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Satoransky (Spurs) played in 32 games, averaged 15 minutes per game, had 14.4 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 0.8 steals, shooting 16.1% from three-point range.
San Antonio ate Satoransky's contract in a deal to send Juan Hernangomez, but apparently they didn't want him, but just to get a second-round pick. Satoransky has been traded twice in a row before the deadline, and neither the Spurs nor the Blazers have any plans to keep him for long, and it's really valuable for a team that needs size and a certain ability to dominate the ball on the flanks, even if he can't make it to the playoff rotation, he's a pretty good rotation player in the regular season, especially for playoff teams that want to rotate stars.
Bemburi (Nets) played in 48 games, averaging 19.8 minutes per game, 5.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 1 steal, shooting 41.7% from three-point range.
The possibility of a buyout in Bembry is one of the most surprising news in recent days. The Nets need to buy out a player to make room for Harden and Bency trades. But Bemburi has played quite well in Brooklyn this season, being a great value offensive and defensive all-around player. As a matter of experience, players like Bembry who have proven their ability through play generally do not appear in the mid-season buyout market. Once he is actually bought out, he will be taken away by suitors in an instant.
Bazemore (Lakers) played in 31 games, averaged 14.7 minutes per game, had 3.7 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.6 steals, shooting 35.4% from three-point range.
The Lakers definitely want to get one or two players in the buyout market, which means they also need to buy out or cut at least one player to free up a roster. Bazemore has completely dropped out of the rotation, bearing in mind that he was the Lakers' starter at one point at the beginning of the season. Bazemore is a good defender who shot 40 percent from three-point range last season in Golden State. Struggling with the Lakers doesn't mean he can't shine on other teams.
Knox (Hawks) played in 20 games, averaged 7.9 minutes per game, had 3 points, 1.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.2 steals, shooting 28.9% from three-point range.
The Hawks got Knox in a trade to send Reddish away, but just as Reddish had a hard time getting playing time at the Knicks, Knox didn't have many opportunities at Atalanta, and after joining the Hawks, Knox played almost always with the drink barrel on the bench, playing less than 50 minutes in total. The Hawks' roster is now empty, but Knox may want to go to a team that gets more playing time. If the Hawks don't have plans to renew his contract, they probably won't mind fulfilling his wishes.
Hood (Clippers) played in 39 games, averaged 14.9 minutes per game, had 3.3 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.3 steals, shooting 30% from three-point range.
In the deal to send Ibaka, the Clippers got Hood and Ojeley, and due to the Clippers' current shortage of manpower (Powell suffered a fracture today, the return date is uncertain), these two players may not enter the buyout market, but the Clippers management is always willing to accept the status quo, and is extremely creative, they may want to free up a roster and then wait for the opportunity in the buyout market. Hood has struggled for the past two seasons, and his performances in Milwaukee this year have been rather disappointing, so once the Clippers decide to move on, there's a good chance that Hood will be the one to be sacrificed.
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Robin Lopez (Magic) played in 26 games, averaged 17.7 minutes per game, had 7.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 0.5 blocks, shooting 56.9% from the field.
Hooker lovers! You ready!? Lopez is currently the third-placed man on the inside at the Magic, with the pick behind Bamba and Carter Jr. But even so, at 30 he's still a good enough defensive player and can contribute enough to win. The Warriors have always been interested in him in the past. Considering that the big men in the Golden State are all more or less health problems at the moment, if given the chance, I believe Bob Myers will take a shot. Lopez makes a lot of sense for a team that needs defensive center-forwards.
Juan Hernangomez (Jazz) played in 24 games, averaging 6.2 minutes per game, 1.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 0.3 assists and 0.1 blocks, shooting 14.3% from three-point range.
The Jazz may be positioned as a shooter for Hernan Gomez, but it is difficult for him to enter the team rotation after he first arrives at the Jazz. If Utah wants to free up a spot to pursue another player, Juan is undoubtedly one of the most likely candidates in the team to be abandoned. Considering that he has a career three-point shooting rate of 34.4%, even if he is really not in good shape this year, he can still play some role in a team with the right system.
Tristan Thompson (Pacers) played in 31 games, averaging 15.2 minutes per game, six points, 5.3 rebounds, 0.6 assists and 0.4 blocks, shooting 51.8 percent from the field.
Thompson was sent to Indiana by the Kings before the trade deadline, although with Sabonis leaving and Turner sidelined with injury, Thompson could get some solid rotation time. But the players themselves may prefer to join a competitive team. Although the Lakers currently look a little far from the championship, Thompson and LeBron have a very good relationship, and compared to Jordan Jr. and Howard, TT also seems to be more suitable for the Lakers' playing style, and once he joins, he should be able to get a lot of playing time immediately. To sum up, once he is bought out, Los Angeles will become a good place to stay.
Millsap (76ers) played in 24 games, averaging 11.3 minutes per game, 3.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1 assist and 0.5 blocks, shooting 37.6% from the field.
It took Brooklyn months to find a home for Millsap and finally sent him away in the deal with Philadelphia, but the 76ers are likely to cut or buy out the veteran in order to find a more suitable target in the buyout market, Millsap has a hard time providing Philadelphia with the inside thickness they desperately need now, and the 76ers' interior line replacement is quite weak after Chuang Shen was sent away. According to previous reports, the Lakers have long been seen as Millsap's most likely destination.
DeAndre Jordan (Lakers) played in 31 games, averaging 12.9 minutes per game, 4.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 0.4 assists and 0.8 blocks, shooting 67% from the field.
The Lakers signed Jordan Jr. in the hope that he could get the team back to the same interior configuration as when they won the championship in 2020. But his performance in Los Angeles was clearly disappointing, he didn't get many chances in most of the game, and the Lakers will definitely want to find a replacement in the buyout market.
Favors (Thunder) played in 36 games, averaged 16.8 minutes per game, had 5.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists and 0.3 blocks, shooting 50.6% from the field.
The Thunder's sole purpose in keeping Favors before the deadline was to use his expired contract to tie the knot, but because they didn't make a suitable deal, the Thunder still had to send the $23 million difference to the players. There is no point in keeping Favors in this way, and for the player himself, joining a team that is expected to win the championship will also be what he wants, and Presti will generally meet the player's requirements. Favors has been wandering around for the past few seasons, and he can still play, but it's hard to make it to the rotation of playoff teams.
Gion (Eagles) played in 36 games, averaged 9.1 minutes per game, had 3.6 points, 3 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 0.4 blocks, shooting 42.3% from three-point range.
It's another inside line that doesn't get too many opportunities at the Hawks, and some teams may like big men like him who can guard the basket. Considering the Hawks' pursuit of results this year, they are likely to leave Gion as insurance, after all, Capela and Collins have a history of injuries, and buying out Gion is somewhat risky for the Hawks.
Original: Sam Quinn
Compilation: Best Fifteenth Man