The 2019 NBA Trade Deadline has passed, but that doesn’t mean teams are done adding to their roster as some key buyout candidates become available.
Everyone gets into a frenzy over the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline, and that was undoubtedly the case in 2019. With rumors swirling regarding a superstar like Anthony Davis, other big names like Kristaps Porzingis, Markell Fultz and Tobias Harris actually being dealt and much more, it was a wild deadline that brought plenty of excitement.
Having said that, the NBA Trade Deadline is not the end of the excitement. Yes, there will be no more player and pick swaps, but the buyout market has become increasingly lucrative and important in recent years. Just last season, the Philadelphia 76ers picked up Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova in this capacity and those two players provided valuable depth to their lineup down the stretch and into the postseason.
This again should be the case in 2019 as there should be a number of players that hit the open market before March 1, the deadline to sign players for them to be eligible to play in the playoffs. And, with the races in each conference looking tight in a number of places, these moves could be crucial.
The NBA’s buyout market moves fast following the NBA Trade Deadline. After the deadline, reports of players already being waived/released already began swirling, and some have already happened. As such, we’ll look at the five most impactful players that either will be, will likely be or already have been bought out following the trade deadline.
Before we get there, Wesley Matthews will not be included on this list. The veteran wing was traded to the New York Knicks in the Porzingis deal and the Knicks are planning on buying him out. However, David Aldridge of The Athletic is already reporting that Matthews will sign a deal with the Indiana Pacers once he’s officially available.
With that out of the way, let’s get into five more buyout candidates following the 2019 NBA Trade Deadline.
Note: The team listed for each player is the team that ultimately released them.