NBA Rumors: Buzz Around Buyout Candidates Post-Trade Deadline

Now that the trade deadline has passed, the rumor mill shifts focus to a less glitzy but arguably just as important sector: buyouts.

For the uninitiated, players who are bought out usually have expiring contracts and play for lottery-bound teams and are usually claimed by contenders in need of some extra depth heading into the postseason. A notable example of a buyout working to perfection is during the 2017-18 season, when the Philadelphia 76ers acquired Marco Belinelli and Ersan Ilyasova from the Atlanta Hawks, and the two then played an integral role in helping the Sixers to win their first playoff series in six years.

There are other avenues to acquire players as well, including via international leagues and literal free agents, though teams resort to those methods far less often.

As the trade deadline only passed Thursday afternoon, there's only a few rumors circulating about potential buyout candidates. Here's a roundup of most of them.

IT Not Staying in L.A.

After being acquired in a deal that also sent forward Marcus Morris to the Los Angeles Clippers, it looks everyone's favorite short guard is not long for L.A. 

Per David Aldridge of The Athletic, the Clippers plan on dumping Isaiah Thomas in the next few days.

It's obviously been a rough few years for Thomas. After a nearly folkloric turn of events with the Boston Celtics in 2016-17, IT has played for four teams in the ensuing three seasons, never seeming to fully recover from the serious hip injury he fell victim to during the 2017 playoffs. 

Through 40 games this year with the Washington Wizards, Thomas was averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 assists, and 1.7 rebounds per game on 40.8 percent overall shooting and 41.3 percent three-point shooting.

Pistons Likely to Keep Reggie Jackson

Despite playing on a hefty expiring contract and taking away minutes from sixth man extraordinaire Derrick Rose and young players like Bruce Brown, it seems the Detroit Pistons want to keep their incumbent point guard, Reggie Jackson.

According to Yahoo Sports' Vincent Goodwill, a buyout for Jackson is an option but has been termed "premature" for now.

Goodwill did not provide reasons for why the Pistons are loath to buy Jackson out of his contract, but Detroit has largely functioned without him anyway this season. The former Boston College Eagle has only played 10 games this season because of a stress fracture in his back and is shooting just 37.5 percent from the field when on the court.

Despite a Trade Request, Thompson Going Nowhere

A report recently emerged from The Athletic's Joe Vardon that stated Tristan Thompson and his camp were prioritizing a trade out of Cleveland. It's unclear what happened in the two days after that report was published, but Thompson was not only not traded, but he's also likely going to finish this season with the Cavaliers.

Per Aldridge, Cleveland plans to keep Thompson around for the remainder of the season and will not buy him out. This is especially curious because the Cavaliers traded for Pistons center Andre Drummond at the deadline, essentially depriving Thompson of his usual spot in the starting lineup.

Up until this point in the season, the 28-year old had been having a career year, averaging 11.9 points, 10.4 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game on 50.8 percent shooting overall. Now it appears he will just get to go straight to free agency in July.

Turner Draws Interest from East Contenders

Per Sean Deveney of Heavy.com, erstwhile Hawk Evan Turner, now temporarily of the Minnesota Timberwolves, has the attention of two Eastern Conference contenders: the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Deveney reports that if Turner is to be bought out—not a certainty—then the two teams occupying the third and fourth seeds in the East playoff picture will chase Turner.

Turner, of course, spent two seasons with the Celtics from 2014 to 2016, averaging 10 points, 5 rebounds, and 5 assists per game as a conductor of Boston's second unit. After disappointing for several years with the Philadelphia 76ers and Indiana Pacers, Turner's time with the Celtics was widely considered a breakthrough in his career, and coach Brad Stevens was credited with figuring out the most effective way to use him.

Deveney notes that the reunion could be complicated because Boston does not have a roster spot available. But if the Celtics are so invested in bringing in Turner, they will find a way to make it work

As for the Heat, they were among the most active teams at the deadline, acquiring both Andre Iguodala and Jae Crowder from the Memphis Grizzlies and hotly pursuing Danilo Gallinari from the Oklahoma City Thunder, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, though that trail went cold before 3 p.m. ET.

Acquiring Turner would also make sense for them; they have been pursuing second-unit depth and veteran leadership, and he fits both of those criterion well.