After the frenzy of the NBA trade deadline, the league and its teams will next set their sights on the NBA buyout market, where players released by their respective squads are free to sign with whatever team wants their services. This market is notable this season because it features at least a couple of solid players and could get even more interesting if some veterans are bought out.
With that as the context, here are some players to keep an eye on as the NBA buyout market unfolds:
Cam Thomas (Waived by the Brooklyn Nets)
Thomas is a tweener at the guard position—too small to be a two-guard but not enough of an orchestrator to be a point guard. But he has one skill set that should come in handy for any team: scoring. Over the past two seasons, Thomas put up at least 22 points a game. This season, he was averaging 15.6 markers a game before getting waived. In the right situation with the right system, he could be an explosive off-the-bench weapon who can spark momentum shifts.
Lonzo Ball (Waived by the Utah Jazz)
Ball is neither the athlete nor the playmaker he once was due to knee issues that kept him sidelined for over 1,000 days. But that doesn’t mean he can’t be a decent player anymore. He’s still just 29 and is a tall point guard at 6-foot-5. He’s also heady and steady, with the ability and willingness to defend and play a role within a system. Prior to getting traded and waived, Ball was averaging 4.6 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.9 assists, and 1.3 steals in only 20.8 minutes. When healthy, he could be the best player overall in this NBA buyout market.
Chris Boucher (Waived by the Utah Jazz)
Not too long ago, Boucher was routinely putting up at least 10 points and 5 rebounds for the Toronto Raptors. But he has been a forgotten man with the Boston Celtics, as his playing time plummeted to just 10.4 minutes a game. Even so, Boucher is still a career 8.7-point-per-game player who does his best work on defense and on the offensive glass. A team looking for an energy guy who can defend multiple positions, crash the boards, and do the dirty work could use him for sure.
Pat Connaughton (Waived by the Charlotte Hornets)
Connaughton fits the mold of a 3-and-D player, as he’s a decent enough defender and has shot 35.7 from downtown for his entire career (with at least one make per game). He’s probably not a starting-caliber player at this point, but he could be a solid contributor as an eighth or ninth man off the bench, especially for a contending team.
Potential NBA Buyout Market Candidates
This list of NBA buyout market names could even grow to include big-name veterans if their respective teams feel inclined to give them the pink slip. The most notable of these veterans is Chris Paul, who was traded to the Toronto Raptors but will likely be let go soon.
Khris Middleton, recently acquired by the Dallas Mavericks in the Anthony Davis swap, doesn’t really fit into the Mavs’ seeming pivot to a younger core and might be another potential buyout candidate. The same could be said of the Sacramento Kings’ Russell Westbrook and the Utah Jazz’s Jusuf Nurkić, whose teams are going nowhere and could be compelled to drop players for salary cap reasons.
Whatever the case may be, one thing is for certain: The NBA buyout market is sure to be a frenzy, too.
