It has already been three weeks since a very eventful NBA trade deadline unfolded in the aftermath of the Milwaukee Bucks playing coy on trade talks centered around Giannis Antetokounmpo. Once the Bucks took their superstar off the market, several notable players like Anthony Davis, Ivica Zubac, Coby White, and Jonathan Kuminga found themselves on the move.
Immediately, the attention of everyone in the NBA turned to the buyout market, a post-trade deadline period that has become a valuable resource for playoff-contending teams over the years. Many organizations that face cap and apron problems have utilized the buyout market over the years as their own trade deadline and a way to add high-level, veteran talent on contracts for the remainder of the season.
However, this season's buyout market has been quiet with little movement.
Mike Conley Jr. returned to the Minnesota Timberwolves after being traded twice at the deadline, and Pat Connaughton returned to the Charlotte Hornets, who initially waived him to free a roster spot given all of their deadline transactions.
The two biggest names who have found new homes are Cam Thomas and Jeremy Sochan. Whereas Thomas has already become a focal scorer for the Bucks with Giannis continuing to rehab his calf injury, Sochan has struggled to find his footing early on with the New York Knicks.
Both young talents signed contracts for the remainder of the 2025-26 season after their former teams waived them in the final year of their respective contracts.
Seven different players have been waived or bought out and signed new contracts in the buyout market, the most recent being Kyle Anderson. Upon clearing waivers after the Memphis Grizzlies bought him out on Thursday night, Anderson plans to sign with the Timberwolves, where he spent two seasons earlier in his career.
Will Anderson be the final notable name to hit the buyout market and sign with a new team?
There are a few more notable names teams around the league are monitoring at this juncture, as players like Khris Middleton, DeMar DeRozan, and others have until Sunday, March 1, to decide whether they want to remain in their current situations for the rest of the season.
A player must be waived before Mar. 1 to be eligible for the playoffs with a new team. This doesn't mean that a player needs to sign a contract by then, but they must be waived to remain playoff-eligible wherever they may end up.
Here is the latest we are hearing at ClutchPoints regarding what has been a quiet buyout period, starting with Middleton and the Dallas Mavericks.
Khris Middleton – Dallas Mavericks
When he arrived in Dallas as part of the nine-player trade that sent Anthony Davis to the Washington Wizards, many began to speculate that the Mavs would soon buy Middleton out. That was not the case at all, as the Mavericks welcomed the former All-Star wing with open arms and were happy to have a player of his class and skills join the team in what has been a lost season.
The Mavericks are in no position to make the playoffs despite Cooper Flagg's sensational first season in the league, which is why they have left the buyout decision in Middleton's hands. While the Mavs have signaled that they would like to keep Middleton for the remainder of the 2025-26 season, he and his representation have received interest from several teams in playoff position this season, league sources said.
Among those with interest in Middleton, the Denver Nuggets and San Antonio Spurs are said to be at the front of the line for the 34-year-old wing should he be bought out of his contract in Dallas.
Denver, who was unable to make a significant move at the trade deadline outside of moving below the luxury tax by trading Hunter Tyson, has been very cognizant of their financial standing. That is why the Nuggets waited until after the All-Star break to officially sign Spencer Jones to a standard deal, which leaves the organization $1.1 million away from the luxury tax line with one open roster spot.
Before his buyout with the Grizzlies on Thursday, the Nuggets held interest in Kyle Anderson, sources said. It is clear Denver wants to add another wing or forward to their rotation, which is why Middleton would be the perfect piece to their championship equation.
One note on the Mavs — they will not be buying out Tyus Jones, as he's a player they wanted since last offseason. During free agency, Dallas did not have the money to give Jones the contract he ended up getting with Orlando, which is why the Mavs traded for him when that opportunity came at the deadline.
Jones is a veteran guard the Mavericks want on their roster heading into the 2026-27 season as reliable depth behind Kyrie Irving.
As of right now, Middleton's decision comes down to what he ultimately wants. If he is happy playing for the Mavericks and increasing his workload before hitting free agency in the offseason, then he won't seek a buyout. However, the opportunity to play for a playoff-contending team is certainly appealing, and he would easily have a path to minutes on such a team should he be waived.
It is worth noting that a lot of players and agents do not necessarily like the idea of hitting the buyout market in Middleton's case, as he would go from a high-paying contract to being viewed as a minimum-like talent. Once players accept a minimum deal, that is essentially what their market looks like for the rest of their career, barring a significant uptick in production.
In Middleton's case, this may not be the smartest financial decision, especially if he wants any chance of landing a deal higher than the veteran's minimum in free agency this upcoming summer.
DeMar DeRozan – Sacramento Kings
Unlike Middleton, who was traded at the deadline, DeMar DeRozan remains stuck in basketball purgatory this season with the Sacramento Kings. Unfortunately for DeRozan, this has been another failed season for the Kings, an organization that has once again seen a fall from grace after a glimmer of playoff hope.
The six-time All-Star has been nothing short of a true professional in Sacramento, and he recently passed Paul Pierce inside the top 25 of the NBA's all-time scoring list. Every player ahead of DeRozan either is currently or will soon be in the Hall of Fame, which only improves his chances of eventually being elected to the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame.
Although his situation is different from Middleton's in the sense that he has been with the Kings all season and did not join a new situation at the trade deadline, DeRozan shares the same reality as Middleton in the sense that if he wants a buyout, he will need to be the one to initiate such conversations.
The Kings have shown no interest in buying out any of their veteran players this season, and they have valued DeRozan's leadership as the organization navigates yet another rebuilding or retooling stage, whatever we want to call it in Sacramento nowadays.
Along with the Kings having no interest in seeing DeRozan leave right now, the 36-year-old has yet to approach them asking for such negotiations. It will definitely be interesting to see if anything changes over the next 48 hours, especially since DeRozan would draw interest from virtually every playoff-contending team with the ability to give him a roster spot.
At the trade deadline, there were some whispers that DeRozan and his camp were exploring ways to get him to one of the two Los Angeles-based teams, sources said. While nothing ever really materialized on that front, it is worth noting that DeRozan is from Compton, California, and he has long wanted to finish his career in Los Angeles.
I would not anticipate DeRozan being bought out at this point, especially since his contract for next season is partially guaranteed for $10 million. How the Kings navigate this situation in the offseason will be interesting.
Russell Westbrook – Sacramento Kings
Another key veteran who has played really well in Sacramento this season is Russell Westbrook. Say what you want about Russ, but this guy is a true professional and plays with the exact level of intensity and joy every team should want.
With the Kings, Westbrook has really made the most of his opportunity, and he's been a leading voice both on and off the court for the young players on this roster. Westbrook has the respect of his teammates and the Kings' coaching staff, so why would he want to think about leaving?
For the first time in a long time, Westbrook is actually with a team that values his production and skills. If he were to be waived, there is no guarantee right now that another team would even sign him.
Should interest exist from a playoff-contending team, I am sure Westbrook would strongly consider such an option, but it doesn't appear as if that's the case right now. Assuming Westbrook stays with the Kings entering March, it would not be shocking to see him sign another contract with the Kings in the summer.
Lonzo Ball – Free Agent
When Lonzo Ball was traded to the Utah Jazz and immediately waived upon arrival, several teams in playoff position began gathering his medical information and contacting him. The Golden State Warriors held strong interest in Ball, as did the Nuggets, sources said.
However, no deal ever materialized for Ball with the Warriors or Nuggets due to concerns both organizations had with his overall knee health. Although Ball played in 35 games with the Cleveland Cavaliers this season before being traded, there are concerns among many league personnel that the former second-overall pick may not play again over concerns with his medical records.
Ball remains unsigned and available on the open market. It is worth noting that Denver and Golden State were not the only two organizations that expressed a level of interest in him.
Nothing is imminent on this front, and Ball will continue to work on strengthening his game and health as he waits for another opportunity. Should he remain unsigned through the remainder of this season and want to continue his playing career, Lonzo may be forced to do so overseas.
D'Angelo Russell – Washington Wizards
One of the notable names who was tied to the Anthony Davis-Khris Middleton nine-player trade between the Wizards and Mavericks was D'Angelo Russell. The 30-year-old guard has been with several teams through the years and has been unable to lock in a firm roster spot with any organization. Washington is the sixth franchise Russell has been with since the 2019-20 season.
At first, it did not appear as if Russell would even report to the Wizards. Unlike Davis, who changed his tune and has embraced this new challenge with a young, rebuilding team in the Eastern Conference, Russell was not eager for this change.
Wizards general manager Will Dawkins told reporters after the trade deadline that he wouldn't ask the veteran guard to show up until the organization figured out what was best for both parties.
A few weeks later, Russell has yet to be waived by the team, and it doesn't appear as if he will be. Upon receiving no interest from other teams around the league, Russell may actually play for the Wizards during the back half of the 2025-26 season, as he recently swapped his number from No. 14 to No. 28 for Washington.
Unless a team comes out of left field and informs him they would add him to their playoff roster, Russell seems prepared to finish the 2025-26 season with the Wizards.
Russell owns a near-$6 million player option for the 2026-27 season.
Cole Anthony – Phoenix Suns
Another player who has yet to report to his new team since the trade deadline is Cole Anthony. The 25-year-old guard originally signed with the Bucks this season after being dumped in the summer by the Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee traded him in a smaller deal made on deadline day.
The Phoenix Suns acquired Anthony as a cap-relief move to dip below the luxury tax. In doing so, the organization was able to add veteran forward Haywood Highsmith. Should they waive Anthony, the Suns will have enough space to convert two-way guard Jamaree Bouyea to a standard deal for the rest of the season.
It is all too obvious that Anthony doesn't appear to be in the Suns' plans whatsoever, especially since they didn't even give this guy a welcome graphic after the trade. Perhaps another team would take a look at Anthony before the end of the season, whether it be on a 10-day contract or a regular deal, but it would be surprising if he actually showed up in Phoenix.
There have been some international basketball clubs showing interest in Anthony, although it appears as if he is not ready to give up on his NBA career just yet.
Matisse Thybulle – Portland Trail Blazers
The Portland Trail Blazers recently made the expected move of waiving 2023 second-round pick Rayan Rupert and converting two-way forward Sidy Cissoko to a standard contract that runs into the 2026-27 season. Cissoko signed a two-year, $3.1 million contract that is not guaranteed until two weeks after free agency begins, sources said.
This was one of two moves the Blazers had hoped to accomplish after the All-Star break, as converting two-way guard Caleb Love to a standard deal is something the organization also wishes to achieve. However, Portland has no open roster spots and is operating roughly $700,000 below the luxury tax line.
It is highly unlikely that the organization will look to buy Robert Williams out of his contract, which leads to major questions about Matisse Thybulle in the final year of his deal. When the Trail Blazers acquired Thybulle from the Philadelphia 76ers during the 2022-23 season, they were taking a chance on a high-potential defensive wing who had trouble staying healthy.
Much of the same has happened in Portland, as he's only played in 110 games over the last four seasons with the Trail Blazers, including just eight games this year. At the same time, Thybulle has played in four straight games and has shown flashes of being the two-way wing this team has wanted. That is why the franchise has been hesitant to waive him.
Love can only play in five more games this season on his two-way contract, so a decision is looming for Portland.
Other than Thybulle, the only other player who would make sense to possibly waive in favor of signing Love is Blake Wesley, although the Blazers have valued the former first-round pick's production when healthy.
Chris Boucher – Free Agent
When the Boston Celtics signed Chris Boucher to a minimum deal in the summer, it seemed like he could potentially be in line to hold a significant role, possibly even as their starting center. Boucher barely played for the Celtics and ended up being buried on their depth chart, which led to an easy decision to trade him for tax relief.
After being traded to the Jazz with a 2027 second-round pick, Boucher was waived and has been a free agent since.
The Suns were a team linked to Boucher during the trade deadline and once he hit the buyout market, but the organization turned their attention to signing Highsmith instead once he was waived by the Nets.
While some had speculated that the Warriors would look to bring back Boucher, who actually began his career with the Dubs during the 2017-18 season, there have been no conversations on this front, sources said.
So, what's next for the lengthy 33-year-old big man?
Boucher spent seven seasons with the Toronto Raptors, and his former team does have an open roster spot. Toronto is also $900,000 from the luxury tax line and could sign Boucher for the rest of the season without crossing this mark based on what would be a near $650,000 prorated contract.
Many league personnel have indicated that Boucher holds a desire to return to the Raptors. Whether this will happen, especially after the Raptors traded for Trayce Jackson-Davis at the deadline, is the bigger question at hand.
