The best free agents are probably available after the trade deadline

The NBA trade deadline has come and gone, but the dust hasn’t settled when it comes to player movement. Now the buyout market is heating up.

A number of players, many of whom were involved in the trade deadline, will not last long with their new teams. Instead, they will be bought out and free to sign with any team in free agency. In fact, some players have already given up. So who are the top players who are likely to be bought out or who have already been released?

Lonzo Ball, PG

Teams in need of a point guard are in luck because the buyout market is likely to be full of leading guards. The Utah Jazz have already waived Lonzo Ball, the former No. 2 overall pick. Injuries derailed his career and prevented him from truly reaching his potential.

Even so, the heir to the Big Baller Brand throne is a jumbo facilitator with great positional size and the ability to get his teammates involved as a passer. As his athleticism faded, his defense regressed. He has also really struggled with his 3-point shooting this year (27.2%). Ball’s inability to get downhill, coupled with his shooting struggles, really limits his best power in the game.

He just hasn’t been the same player since missing two straight seasons. Even so, the team might be willing to gamble on Ball in the hopes that he can return to form after the change of scene.

Chris Paul, PG

Chris Paul’s retirement tour didn’t go exactly as planned. The greatest point guard of all time he was set to play his final season with the Los Angeles Clippers team with which he had great success during his prime. However, Paul has been on the sidelines for the past two months as the team sent him home due to disagreements within the organization and conflict with head coach Ty Lue.

Despite the cheap contract, which seemed very mobile, Paul was left sitting at home for months before finally being traded to the Toronto Raptors, but the Raptors immediately informed Paul that he didn’t have to report when they acquired him. Instead, he will likely be bought out. Once that officially happens, Paul will be able to end his farewell tour on his own terms.

Paul is one of the best players in NBA history without a championship ring. Expect him to join a contender that can give him a shot at that ring in his final season. Paul isn’t the player he once was, but he can still command the offense effectively because of his playmaking prowess. Paul started all 82 games for the San Antonio Spurs last year alone, helping Victor Wembanyama take the next step forward in his development in the process.

Mike Conley, PG

Mike Conley was traded twice before the NBA trade deadline. Normally, traded players cannot return to their original team within a year, but this rule is negated when a player is traded twice, meaning Conley could return to the Minnesota Timberwolves now that the Charlotte Hornets have officially waived him.

The Timberwolves’ plans at the trade deadline didn’t end up as great as expected. Instead of acquiring Giannis Antetokounmpo or a star point guard, Minnesota ended up with just Ayo Dosunmu. The former Chicago Bull is having a solid season, but he’s more of a guard than a point guard, which means the Timberwolves are still thin at the lead guard spot, especially since Rob Dillingham was also traded.

Anthony Edwards has made it clear that he and his team want their veteran leader back. Finally, Conley will have a choice as to where he will finish the season.

Mason Plumlee, C

Mason Plumlee bought the Oklahoma City Thunderbut the team immediately waived him to make room for newly acquired Jared McCain. The center has not been bought out and could be claimed on the waiver wire, but in all likelihood, he will hit free agency and be free to sign anywhere.

Plumlee has been a solid backup center throughout his career. It was a bit of a shock that the Charlotte Hornets didn’t give him more minutes because they entered the year with question marks at the center position. The team prioritized youth, however, as they instead gave big man minutes to Ryan Kalkbrenner and Moussa Diabate. That led to Plumlee’s worst season to date, as he averaged just 1.9 points per game in 8.9 minutes of action in 14 contests.

However, Plumlee provides an intriguing skill set that could provide value to the team. In addition to providing typical center skills such as rebounding, rim protection and finishing, Plumlee sometimes expands his offense and shows the ability to create in the form of advanced passing and crafty ball handling. Plumlee is good for a random highlight every few months.

Chris Middleton, SF

A year ago, Dallas Mavericks traded Luka Doncic in the most shocking deal in NBA history. Time has shown that was a mistake, and that mistake has had a huge snowball effect that will likely lead to Khris Middleton’s redemption. Middleton was traded from the Washington Wizards to the Mavericks before the trade deadline in Anthony Davis trade.

Davis, of course, was the centerpiece of the aforementioned Doncic deal, but he couldn’t overcome the injury problem, and the Mavericks decided to cut their losses and embrace the youth movement led by Cooper Flagg. Middleton is probably not part of their plans, given that he is 34 years old, well past his prime, and has also had a lot of injury problems in recent years.

Middleton is a three-time All-Star who is one of the best mid-range shooters in the league when healthy. During his prime, Middleton topped 20 points per game four times. He still scored at a solid rate (10.3 points per game) with the Wizards this year despite the team also prioritizing youth. Middleton’s length and scoring will be desirable on the open market if he is, in fact, bought out. He is probably the best buyout candidate.

Marvin Bagley, C

Like Middleton, Marvin Bagley was a veteran who ended up in Dallas as part of the Davis trade. If the Mavericks embrace the youth movement, then Bagley could be released as well. The former second overall pick has also been closely linked to Doncic. He was the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, and Doncic was selected one pick after him.

Bagley is credited with finding a niche in the NBA. It was originally viewed as a huge bust outline, but while he didn’t live up to his draft pick, he became a solid player over a long period of time. Drafted as a power forward who was a bit of a tweener, Bagley settled into the role of full-time center.

Bagley has some inside touch and can shoot from the mid-range. He’s also improved as a 3-point shooter after his lack of rebounding earlier in his career was a big reason why he didn’t live up to pre-draft expectations. Bagley is shooting an impressive 42.1% from deep this year, albeit on 19 total attempts.

Highwood Highsmith, SG

The Brooklyn Nets aren’t good, but they actually have a ton of depth. That’s despite the fact that Haywood Highsmith hasn’t played this season while recovering from offseason surgery. Due to the move of the trade deadline, the Nets were forced to waive Highsmith before he even had a chance to prove himself with the team.

The offseason trade acquisition was dropped hours before the deadline. It’s unclear if/when Highsmith will play this season. However, if given the green light by his doctors, Highsmith would be an intriguing free agent target for a number of teams. After all, the former Miami Heat player has NBA Finals experience.

Highsmith doesn’t put up flashy numbers, but he’s a solid player who plays defense and does the dirty work. Winning teams crave 3-and-D players of small scale.

Cam Thomas, SG

The Brooklyn Nets waived Cam Thomas in a shocking move. Thomas has battled injuries throughout his career, but when he’s given the green light, he’s on a high. Thomas averaged 24 points per game last season alone. He can score from any level on the floor, even when his shots are high-difficulty.

Thomas does nothing but score, which is why he fell out of favor in Brooklyn. Even so, there is room in the NBA for clean players like Thomas.

Eric Gordon, SG

The Philadelphia 76ers assigned the contract of Eric Gordon to the Memphis Grizzlies. After merchant Desmond Bain and Jaren Jackson Jr. over the past year, the latter of which was traded just days before the trade deadline, the Grizzlies found themselves rebuilding.

They had cap space and desire for more picks, despite the fact that they now have 12 future first-round selections. The Grizzlies are getting younger, but not older, so Gordon will most likely be bought out. Gordon has only played in six games this year, but the 17-year veteran is a leader who can knock down the 3-point shot when called upon.

Klay Thompson/DeMar DeRozan, SG

In all likelihood, neither Klay Thompson nor DeMar DeRozan are legitimate buyout candidates. They are simply too talented to let them go like that. However, they are worth mentioning as players who are not 100% sure. Thompson is one of best scorers everbut his tenure with the Mavericks was not pretty.

When it comes to DeRozan, it was somewhat of a shock that the Sacramento Kings didn’t trade him. DeRozan is an elite mid-range shooter. Both of these players are past their prime values, but any contender would love to have them if they were to be bought out.