10 NBA Players Who Could Still Be on the Move After 2015 Trade Deadline
The NBA trade deadline brought a whirlwind of activity and left everyone—teams and outside observers alike—dazedly trying to piece together what all went down.
Guess what? More action is on the way.
The flurry of trades may be over, but buyout season is upon us. Teams that couldn't find what they were looking for in swaps will now turn to the free-agency pool, which will soon be populated by veterans given their walking papers.
Amar'e Stoudemire already wound up with the Dallas Mavericks. Now, guys such as Kendrick Perkins, Brandon Bass and Andrea Bargnani could find themselves bargaining for their release.
In some cases, buyouts happen because rebuilding teams have little use for older players down the stretch. In others, it's about clearing the books to sneak under the tax. Either way, there are bound to be a handful of rotation options available.
Kendrick Perkins, C, Utah Jazz
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The Utah Jazz parted ways with Enes Kanter for two reasons: He wanted out, and they needed to clear playing time for the Rudy Gobert-Derrick Favors frontcourt pairing of the future.
That second part is relevant to the future of Kendrick Perkins, who came to Utah as part of the three-team deal that sent Kanter to the Oklahoma City Thunder, per Royce Young of ESPN.com. In short, don't expect Perk to spend much time scoping out real estate in Salt Lake City.
Arash Markazi of ESPN.com sees the writing on the wall:
"No moves by the Clippers at the deadline but they'll be in the market for a buyout guy or two. Kendrick Perkins is at the top of their list.
— Arash Markazi (@ArashMarkazi) February 19, 2015"
The Los Angeles Clippers—short on bigs and run by Doc Rivers, who loved Perkins as part of his championship Celtics team—will almost certainly snap up the veteran big man if he becomes available. Given the rebuilding situation in Utah and the desire to give big minutes to younger players, it's easy to see a buyout coming.
Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports lists the Cleveland Cavaliers, Chicago Bulls and Clippers as the likeliest landing spots.
Perkins will be on the move again soon.
Kevin Martin, SG, Minnesota Timberwolves
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It's never smart to inform potential trade partners that you're just going to buy out the guy you're trying to deal. It kills leverage.
That's why, despite Sam Amick of USA Today tweeting "On the Kevin Martin front, I'm told from the T-Wolves side that there's 'no way' he's going to be bought out. Flip Saunders loves him," we should expect K-Mart to be among the players discussed as buyout candidates going forward.
The main reason: He's in the way of Andrew Wiggins.
Since returning Jan. 28 from a broken wrist, Martin has played at least 29 minutes in every game. And because scoring is his principal skill, he's been getting shots up—17.6 per game, to be exact, per NBA.com.
Wiggins was a monster in January, averaging 19.8 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting. Most importantly, he took 16 shots per contest. In February, he's only managed 11 shots per game.
That's the Martin effect, and the Wolves need to remedy it.
Nothing's more important in Minnesota than Wiggins' development, and Martin, though he's a fine player, stands in the way of that goal.
That makes a buyout realistic.
Gary Neal, PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves
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When Gary Neal wound up in Minnesota as part of the deal sending Mo Williams to the Charlotte Hornets, you could smell the buyout coming.
What use would the Wolves have for a veteran guard who would only get in the way of Ricky Rubio and, more importantly, Zach LaVine in the backcourt?
Neal has a history of perimeter accuracy, as his career three-point mark of 38.1 percent attests, but he's a 30-year-old specialist—one who hasn't even been that great in his purported specialty this season (29.3 percent from deep).
In theory, he could find his stroke and help a contender in short minutes. In practice, there's really no way he helps the rebuilding Wolves.
According to Ken Berger of CBSSports.com, Neal's agent was expected to pursue a buyout if no trade came along to extricate Neal from Minnesota. The deadline has passed and Neal is still in Minny.
It's not hard to figure out what's coming next.
Brandon Bass, PF, Boston Celtics
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I'll admit that if we take Brandon Bass at his word, a buyout seems highly unlikely.
"I don't know anything about that, man," Bass told Jay King of MassLive.com. "I don't even know what a buyout is. What is that? Why would I want to take a contract hit to become a free agent? Man, listen, I would never want to take a contract hit to become a free agent."
First of all, King notes that Bass might have been joking because how could he not realize he's a prime buyout candidate? Bass's mix of mid-range shooting and steady post defense makes him a hot commodity for any contender short on frontcourt help.
His 9.5 points and 4.2 rebounds in just 20.8 minutes per game will fit just about anywhere. And the fact that Bass has been through plenty of postseason battles only makes him more appealing.
Andrea Bargnani, PF, and Jose Calderon, PG, New York Knicks
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The New York Knicks already made a big cost-saving move by buying out Amar'e Stoudemire, but another one could give them something nobody could have possibly imagined earlier this year.
According to a tweet from ESPN's Marc Stein: "Knicks now just $2,864,685 over tax line after Stoudemire buyout. One more meaty contract shed and Phil's Knicks (whoa) would be UNDER tax."
The Knicks. Under the tax.
Say what you will about Phil Jackson's decisions this season, but give him credit if he manages to pull this off.
Andrea Bargnani is the most likely candidate for a "pay him to go away" move, as trimming the remainder of his $11.5 million salary would make the biggest dent in New York's cap figure. Bargs has been a massive disappointment since he was acquired for (cringe) a first-rounder and two seconds in 2013.
So most Knicks fans won't be sad to see him go.
It might be tough to orchestrate a buyout, however, as Bargnani's performance and injury history make him a less-than-ideal pickup for a potential contender.
Don't rule out Jose Calderon as a possibility either. He hasn't been the shooter or distributor the Knicks hoped they were getting when they sent Tyson Chandler to the Dallas Mavericks, and Calderon's defense has never been a strong suit.
But there's more to like about him than Bargs because, given the right environment, it's reasonable to expect Calderon's shot will return. This is a guy who has flirted with a 50/40/90 season in the past, and that would likely attract some interest.
Andrei Kirilenko, SF, Philadelphia 76ers
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Dealt to the Philadelphia 76ers after playing 5.1 minutes per contest in seven games for the Brooklyn Nets, subsequently sent home and an NBA ghost ever since, Andrei Kirilenko might be the most intriguing name on the buyout list.
According to Mike Mazzeo of ESPN.com, the Sixers were hoping to get something in return for AK-47 at the trade deadline. But with no swaps materializing, it's now expected Philadelphia will eventually buy him out.
Everything about Kirilenko's status is uncertain. He might not be in shape. He might not even want to play basketball. We know he doesn't want to play for the Sixers.
The other complicating factor is that Kirilenko is currently suspended for not reporting after the Jan. 9 trade, which means he's not taking up a roster spot, and the Sixers aren't paying him. So it's hard to see what Philadelphia would gain by cutting him a check in a buyout—other than the benefit of eliminating a distraction.
There's no doubt Kirilenko would get long looks from contenders in need of versatility, passing and defense. Now it's just a question of the Sixers finding a reason to cut ties.
Randy Foye, SG, and Darrell Arthur, PF, Denver Nuggets
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A two-for-one buyout bonanza, seen here watching Tim Duncan score.
B/R's Howard Beck reported both Randy Foye and Darrell Arthur could be buyout candidates before the trade deadline. And now that the Denver Nuggets have shaken things up by trading Arron Afflalo to the Portland Trail Blazers for a heap of fringe rotation players and a pick, via ESPN.com's Brian Windhorst, perhaps it's more likely the winds of change will keep on blowing.
As badly as things have gone for the Nuggets this season, you can't blame them for wanting to turn over as much of the roster as possible.
Foye is a volume shooter with no shortage of confidence, which could be valuable for a team in need of shot generation. He's also played some point guard (by necessity) this year. Arthur is primarily a jump-shooting big man these days, and he has struggled to recover from some serious injuries that sapped his athleticism.
Both are legitimate NBA players, and both have little value for a Nuggets team now clearly starting over.
Willie Green, SG, Orlando Magic
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In the interest of completeness, consider one Willie Green, the Orlando Magic shooting guard Beck also cited as a potential post-deadline mover.
Green, like just about everyone else on this list, is a veteran standing in the way of developing talent. He's 33, he's basically a perimeter specialist and he hasn't done a whole lot in 16.4 minutes per game this season.
There may be some risk in letting him go so soon after the Magic fired head coach Jacque Vaughn; a young core could need a steadying presence now more than ever. But Green's a consummate pro who the Magic might want to do a favor for the stretch run.
His $1.4 million salary this year isn't killing Orlando's cap, but maybe the Magic will be cool with letting him go all the same.
