Landing Spots for Top Buyout Candidates After 2026 NBA Trade Deadline

Every year, a handful of NBA players make it through the trade deadline on a team that really makes no sense for them.

Generally veterans, these players are usually released and then signed by teams that can offer a shot at a title or another goal their previous club cannot.

This year, the buyout candidates include Chris Paul, Lonzo Ball, Mike Conley, Khris Middleton and DeMar DeRozan. And below, we have the best landing spots for all of them.

Lonzo Ball: Denver Nuggets

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Lonzo has been spectacularly inefficient this season. He's shooting 44.8 percent on twos, 27.2 percent from deep and 30.1 percent overall.

But his rebound, assist and steal rates should still be very intriguing for a team in need of some depth in the backcourt and on the wings.

Because of his size, the 6'5" guard can log some minutes at either spot. And his basketball IQ and team-first approach would make him a natural fit on a roster with Nikola Jokić.

Chris Paul: Houston Rockets

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CP3 turns 41 in May. He was unceremoniously dismissed from the Los Angeles Clippers, who'd seemingly signed up to give him a farewell tour. And they just traded him to the Toronto Raptors, who aren't requiring him to report to the team.

In other words, there may not be a long line of suitors for Paul whenever he hits the market.

But the Houston Rockets, who lost Fred VanVleet to a torn ACL shortly before this season started, could justify it.

Paul obviously wouldn't replace Reed Sheppard or Amen Thompson, but he could help both better understand what it means to be a traditional 1. And even if he can only play 10-15 minutes per game, he'd make the Rockets offense more organized than it's been since Steven Adams went down and his offensive rebounding left the attack.

Mike Conley: Los Angeles Lakers

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We could pretty easily flip the teams for CP3 and Conley. Both the Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers could use the veteran leadership and reserve playmaking.

For L.A. and Conley, specifically, this fit is a little cleaner, thanks to Conley's years of experience playing alongside ball-dominant wings.

CP3 needs the ball in his hands a bit more than Conley does. Conley's more comfortable spending some possessions as a pure catch-and-shoot threat.

And on a team with Luka Dončić, Austin Reaves and LeBron James, that willingness to play more of a secondary role would be key.

Khris Middleton: Milwaukee Bucks

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Giannis Antetokounmpo is still a Milwaukee Buck.

Though he's currently hurt, and his team is 20-29 and in 12th place, being in the East means they still have a chance to make the playoffs.

If, upon his return, Milwaukee rattles off a handful of wins and looks like a play-in lock, it could entertain a reunion between Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, whose outside shooting and playmaking could juice an offense that craters when Giannis is off the floor.

Of course, there's plenty of built-in chemistry with this one too. And the Bucks front office should be eager to erase the sting of replacing a franchise legend with Kyle Kuzma.

DeMar DeRozan: New York Knicks

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DeMar DeRozan isn't on an expiring contract, which can make a buyout a little tougher to negotiate.

But his 2026-27 money is only partially guaranteed. And if the 36-year-old wants a chance to compete, he might entertain leaving a lot of money on the table to leave the Sacramento Kings.

As a reserve scorer, DeRozan could still be effective against backup defenders. And the New York Knicks are currently in the bottom five of the league in bench scoring.

DeRozan spending his twilight drilling mid-range jumpers at Madison Square Garden is a heck of a story that makes plenty of basketball sense too.