Celtics, Lakers, Others Face Decisions on NBA Buyout Market

Getty Isaiah Thomas, NBA free agent

It was always going to be an uphill climb for guard Evan Turner bought out in Minnesota, because it was difficult to find a new landing spot for him after a season in which he mostly sat the bench for the youthful Hawks. Turner did not come to an agreement on a buyout with the Timberwolves meaning he won’t be available for contenders looking to add a piece for a playoff run.

What happens next with Turner is uncertain. There were several players—Bismack Biyombo, Brandon Knight, John Henson—who are awkward fits with their current teams but who did not go the buyout route, mostly because they did not have a commitment from another team elsewhere.

So the buyout market is set. Players who agreed to terms of their release before 11:59 p.m. on March 1 can be signed by teams and will be eligible to play in the postseason.

Already we’ve seen a number of useful players make their moves. The transactions likely to have the most impact:

Reggie Jackson to the Clippers. L.A. was eager for point guard depth and Jackson (9.6 points, 4.2 assists in 19.8 minutes) has been giving it.

Marvin Williams to the Bucks. Williams has already chipped in 17.4 minutes per game though his 3-point shooting (the reason he’s in Milwaukee) has been poor, at 31.6 percent.

Jeff Green and DeMarre Carroll to the Rockets. The Rockets were badly in need of depth and this pair is the kind of versatile forwards Houston has built around.

Markieff Morris to the Lakers. Four games in, he has been giving the Lakers useful minutes, including 10 points and four rebounds in the win over New Orleans.

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist to the Mavericks. So far, not so good. MKG has taken four shots in six games and made one of them.

Top Buyout Candidates Available

Every contender—and non-contenders who might just want to have a look at a player—must consider now whether a newly minted free agent player could be an upgrade over what the team already has on the roster.

The top bought out players available:

Isaiah Thomas. Veteran scorer played well for Washington, averaging 12.2 points and making 41.3 percent of his 3s. He’d like to go back to the Celtics.

Dion Waiters. Talented combo guard but was suspended three times by the Heat this season.

Allen Crabbe. He’s a 3-and-D wing who has not been making 3s. Averaged 3.2 points in nine games with the Wolves.

Tyler Johnson. Johnson has struggled offensively this year but plays tough defense at the point guard spot.

Trey Burke. He was not bad in Philadelphia, averaging 5.9 points on 46.5 percent shooting (42.1 percent 3s) but he could not consistently crack the rotation.

Tim Frazier. Frazier has been with six teams in six seasons. You like him enough to sign him, but not enough to keep him.

Anthony Tolliver. If you’re looking for a good locker-room vet, Tolliver is your guy. But at 34, he does not produce much anymore.

There could be a market, too, for the likes of Jamal Crawford, J.R. Smith and Joakim Noah, who are also veteran free agents. And while it’s possible to see a return there, those guys have been on the market all season without getting picked up and it might be difficult for them to break back into the league now.

Celtics, Rockets, Sixers Need Bench Help

As for contenders, it is important to note that a bustling bench is not a necessity when it comes to postseason success. Rotations tighten and coaches tend to go only seven or eight deep in the playoffs. One of the top contenders in the league, the Clippers, have the most productive bench, getting 51.6 points per game.

Nos. 2 and 3 on the list: Washington and Detroit. Hardly contenders.

There are five teams that would call themselves championship contenders and six teams that rank among the Top 6 in their conferences whose reserve units rank among the 10 least-productive in the NBA. They would be considered the best candidates to bolster the bench with a player who’s been bought out.

It is worth noting, however, that the trade deadline has passed nearly a month ago and if none of the above teams have made a move on a free-agent yet, it might be a longshot that, barring injury, they do so now.

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