After the conclusion of the trade deadline, we now have a clear picture of the NBA buyout market. Here are the best options for the Portland Trail Blazers.
The NBA trade deadline left several players available on the open market. Lottery-bound teams started looking ahead to the upcoming draft and decided to waive or buy out some of their veterans. Teams acquiring multiple players in trades had to open up roster spots by waiving veterans who had fallen out of the rotation. As a result, the Portland Trail Blazers should be able to acquire a difference maker to help them compete this season.
The Blazers biggest need has been at small forward. Wesley Matthews and Wayne Ellington were two quality wings on the market, but they unfortunately already signed with the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons respectively.
Instead, this year’s NBA buyout market features a number of quality centers. Robin Lopez, Zach Randolph, Enes Kanter, Frank Kaminsky, and Marcin Gortat are all expected to be available. Ben McLemore, Milos Teodosic, and Shelvin Mack headline the available guards. Of course, the availability of Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin IV have been well documented. The two former Blazers were traded three times and then eventually cut by the Indiana Pacers.
I am going to analyze three players that I believe the Blazers should take a long look at. Let’s get started.