The trade deadline is getting closer and everybody around the league is waiting to see what is going to happen with some stars that could be involved in big moves before the deadline strikes on Thursday at 3 PM ET. Furthermore, after the deadline, another period starts for the NBA and that’s the buyout market.
The players that couldn’t get traded before the deadline will get cut by their teams to try to find a new contract somewhere else and this season we have a series of good candidates that could be bought out if their teams are unable to find a trade partner. Marc Stein of The New York Times revealed that six players are more likely to find a new team in the buyout market rather than via trade.
Cleveland’s Andre Drummond and San Antonio’s LaMarcus Aldridge are two more former All-Stars who have been heavily shopped, but their hefty salaries make it difficult for their teams to trade them. Neither the Cavaliers nor the Spurs want to take long-term salary back in a deal. If no trade materializes in either case, Drummond ($28.75 million) and Aldridge ($24 million) could become unrestricted free agents by negotiating buyouts.
There is a growing belief around the league that the Los Angeles Lakers have an edge over the Nets to sign Drummond if he makes it to free agency, and the Heat are widely regarded as the leaders to sign Aldridge.
Other players who could soon reach free agency through a buyout if they are not traded in the next two days include New Orleans’s JJ Redick, Cleveland’s JaVale McGee, Memphis’ Gorgui Dieng, Sacramento’s Hassan Whiteside and the Knicks’ Austin Rivers.
These names are very interesting ones and more than one team would be interested in landing them. Who would be able to lure them? Time will tell; we need to go through the deadline first and see what the options are for the contenders around the association.
The only certain thing now is that we seem to be ready to live a very entertaining deadline and buyout market. A lot of movements are expected around the association and fans can’t wait to see how their teams are going to look like after it’s all said and done.
