5 best buyout candidates who could be available

Brook Lopez

It would behoove the Lakers to buy out Brook Lopez. He’s in the last year of his deal, which is the main reason they took him on in their trade with the Nets this past summer, and is a very skilled player who deserves to be playing in the postseason.

Last season with the Nets, Lopez played and started 75 games and averaged 20.5 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 1.7 BPG, and shot a career-high 35-percent from deep on 5.2 attempts per game while averaging 29.6 MPG. When given minutes and the opportunity, some could argue Lopez into a top-50 player in the league right now.

Lopez has had a much different season with the Lakers, though, who are in rebuilding mode, and altering lineups and rotations constantly without considering Lopez because they know he’s gone at the end of the season.

Essentially, Lopez wants to win games and the Lakers don’t, so buy him out.

Lopez would have plenty of teams interested in his talents. The Cavaliers could make a push to give themselves another center, and Lopez could even start over Thompson and offer the Cavs two bigs who space the floor.

The Pelicans could make a push to sure up their playoff push with Cousins out for the rest of the season. The Wizards and Bucks are desperate for any center who isn’t Marcin Gortat, Ian Mahinmi or John Henson, respectively, and the Raptors would be intrigued by the possibility as well.

Out west, there aren’t as many interesting possibilities, but the Spurs could use another scorer due to the lengthy absence of Kawhi Leonard, and Lopez could pair nicely with LaMarcus Aldridge.

Next: What the Lakers-Cavaliers trade means for Isaiah Thomas

And finally, could you imagine Lopez in Mike D’Antoni’s offense in Houston? He would feast in the pick-and-roll with James Harden and Chris Paul setting him up and would get to shoot as many three’s as he likes, just like he did with the Nets last season.

If the Lakers buy out Lopez, it’s going to be a very intense race to see who ends up with him.