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The scenario in which an NBA player is bought out can sometimes become ugly, such as Andre Drummond's with the Cleveland Cavaliers last season when the 28-year-old was purposefully sat out of games by the franchise. However, a buyout can often be the best-case scenario for both the ball club and the player involved.
It would seem ridiculous for an NBA team to complete a buyout for a player on a huge salary, such as the Detroit Pistons agreement with Blake Griffin in March. Griffin went from a washed-up six-time All-Star to an unfair advantage on the Brooklyn Nets. However, these kinds of deals continue to happen frequently in the NBA and the 2021-22 season will be no different.
In this article, we will look at five players who could be bought out prior or during the campaign this year.
Five players who could be bought out in the 2021-22 NBA season
#1 Rajon Rondo
It's fair to say that Rajon Rondo's time with the LA Clippers didn't go to plan. The 35-year-old veteran played in 31 games for the Clippers after moving midseason from the Atlanta Hawks but failed to have the same impact in the playoffs that endeared him to the team's cross-city rivals during the 2020 NBA bubble.
So it was little surprise to see the Clippers move Rondo in the offseason to the Memphis Grizzlies as a salary filler in a deal for Eric Bledsoe. The Grizzlies have too many players, however, and so the two-time champion could be bought out of his contract.
This would free up the opportunity for Rondo to reunite with the Lakers, who have been heavily rumored to be interested in him as a third-choice point guard. He would complement Kendrick Nunn's scoring game well with his distribution and add franchise and championship experience to the locker room.
#2 DeAndre Jordan
Another player who could end up on the LA Lakers in the 2021-22 NBA season if he is bought out is Brooklyn Nets center DeAndre Jordan.
Despite playing 57 games during the regular season, Jordan fell well down the pecking order and didn't feature in the NBA playoffs for the Nets as Blake Griffin and Jeff Green saw the majority of court time.
The franchise has been looking to trade the veteran center this summer in order to remove his $9.8m salary that would save them about $59m in tax liabilities. However, it is unclear if Jordan would agree to a buyout considering he wanted to join the Nets to play with close friends Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.
In this scenario, the Nets may instead involve Jordan in a trade, putting the onus on another team to buy him out.
Akin to Rondo, he could provide depth for the Lakers behind Anthony Davis, Dwight Howard and Marc Gasol but would have to be accepting of receiving very few minutes. He scored 7.5 points and 7.5 rebounds on 22 minutes per game last season and shot at 76% from the field.
#3 Kevin Love
A buyout being agreed between Kevin Love and the Cleveland Cavaliers appears to be only a matter of time with the fit not really working for either party currently. The writing was on the wall when Love gave an inbound pass straight to the Toronto Raptors to score an uncontested three earlier in the season. He no longer wants to be part of a losing franchise, while the Cavs will be looking to other, younger players to lead their rebuild.
Kevin Love's contract is monsterous and is perhaps the only thing holding the Cavs back currently. However, there just isn't the market for Love, a player earning $30m for the next two years and who has played just 103 games over the last three campaigns.
Should he become available after a buyout, though, there would be plenty of contenders looking at his three-point shooting and rebounding as worthy of a minimum contract.
#4 Goran Dragic
Goran Dragic's signing with the Toronto Raptors hasn't exactly been smooth so far. The 35-year-old veteran guard stated earlier this month that he has 'higher ambitions' than playing for the Raptors and that they were not his 'preferred destination'.
While these aren't particularly surprising statements, Dragic is on an expiring contract worth $19m this season and the Raptors lost their No.1 point guard to his former team. Therefore, while he may offer enough of the money back in a buyout, it is currently unlikely that Toronto would agree to go through with it. They would want something positive back in return.
Still, there is plenty of time for the Raptors to change their mind. We witnessed last season how relationships can fall apart and veterans become available to contending outfits in the league. Dragic could be one of them this year.
#5 Thaddeus Young
Thaddeus Young had one of the best seasons of his NBA career last year for the Chicago Bulls. Starting 23 of his 68 appearances at power forward, Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds and 4.3 assists while shooting at a career-high 55.9% from the field.
Given that the San Antonio Spurs are trying to develop their younger players and Young's contract has only one year left in it, a buyout could be agreed between both parties. He would provide immense value to a number of teams on a minimum deal, particularly to the Milwaukee Bucks or Dallas Mavericks.
Guess the Lakers players!
