The NBA trade deadline has come to a dramatic close but that doesn’t mean the action is over. Three weeks remain before the buyout market closes, so here are the five best potential buyout candidates.
The NBA trade deadline came to an action-packed finish that not many saw coming. The Cleveland Cavaliers completely retooled their roster, the Lakers added Isaiah Thomas and a first-round pick, and other teams involved themselves in the Cavs mega-trade or made smaller deals.
As parts moved, certain players ended up with teams who plan on waiving them, which leaves them the opportunity to be signed by a playoff team and contribute to their rotation.
The next three weeks should lead to many teams taking advantage of this, so here are the five best buyout candidates who could be available
Joe Johnson
That’s right, Iso Joe, the man who continues to defy the laws of age, physical appearance and just about everything else as he continues to get buckets, will be on the buyout market for cheap.
Johnson was part of the Cavaliers three-team mega deal that involved them, the Jazz and the Kings. Johnson was sent to the Kings in the deal, and it was immediately reported that he will seek — and most likely be granted — a buyout.
Joe Johnson is expected to seek--and receive--a buyout from Sacramento, per sources, and will be coveted: Golden State, Boston will be among the early favorites.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) February 8, 2018
Johnson is at the top of the buyout list for many playoff teams. The Celtics remain interested after failing to score a deal for the Grizzlies’ Tyreke Evans, and so do the Warriors and Rockets. David Aldridge reported that the Rockets have been interested in Johnson for some time and had a feeling he would be available after the deadline.
Rockets have been, and are, very interested in Joe Johnson as a potential add, and have been working on the assumption that he’d be available one way or the other after trade deadline, per source.
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) February 8, 2018
The Warriors’ interest mainly seems to stem from not wanting the Rockets to have him, although their bench hasn’t been as good as it has in previous seasons and he would improve it a little bit. He wouldn’t be nearly as good an asset for them as he would for the Rocket or the Warriors.
Another team — who has no reported interest — but would be a good fit for Iso Joe is the Sixers. The team’s offense suffers when Joel Embiid is off the floor, and they reportedly pursued Lou Williams and Evans at the trade deadline to try and resolve those issues. Neither deal came to fruition, so Iso Joe could be the cheap plan C.