Shabazz Muhammad Buyout Reportedly a Possibility for Timberwolves

After failing to move him by the Feb. 8 NBA trade deadline, the Minnesota Timberwolves are open to buying Shabazz Muhammad out of his contract.

"Shabazz hasn't gotten out on the floor to play very much, so he's disappointed," Timberwolves owner Glen Taylor said, per the Star Tribune's Sid Hartman. "He would like to get with a team that he could put in more minutes and show his skill set. We have given the OK that if he finds such a team he can go to and wants to walk away, [he can] get out of our contract."

A buyout would be the best move for both parties, and it should be relatively easy for Minnesota to execute since Muhammad counts for $1.5 million against the salary cap this season and has a $1.7 million player option for next year.

The fifth-year swingman has appeared in 31 games this season and is playing just 9.6 minutes per game. As a result, he's averaging a career-low 3.7 points.

Shabazz Muhammad gets the And-1

With the Timberwolves hoping to secure a top-four seed in the Western Conference, there's little chance Muhammad's role with the team will grow between now and the end of the year.

According to NBA.com, Minnesota has had a minus-19.9 net rating with him on the floor, and he's last in the league in real plus-minus (minus-5.52), per ESPN.com. Simply put, Muhammad has been too much of a liability to justify giving him significant playing time at this point in the season.

That's why he's far better off in different surroundings.

Entering this year, Muhammad was averaging 18.9 points and 5.7 rebounds per 36 minutes, according to Basketball Reference. With an increased role on a new team, he may be able to prove himself as an effective role player once again.