NBA trade season is in full swing as the Feb. 7 deadline looms, bringing buyout season with it. Contenders that do not achieve their hopes and dreams via trade can scour the post-deadline buyout market for players of value to them. Typically, veterans on losing teams are the most likely to come available.
Adding to Sunday’s list of possible targets for the Houston Rockets, we have three more players that deserve a look if bought out and granted free agency upon clearing waivers. The Rockets are expected to be active on the trade front, keeping their options open for potential pickups when the dust settles.
Alec Burks, Cleveland Cavaliers
The Cavaliers acquired Burks from the Utah Jazz on Nov. 29, 2018, which means his aggregate trade restrictions were lifted on Jan. 29. This was intentionally done so that Burks could be packaged and shipped again ahead of the Feb. 7 trade deadline, but so far, no clear suitor has emerged to take on his $11.5-million salary.
According to ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Rockets engaged the Cavaliers in trade discussions that involved sending Brandon Knight and a draft pick for Burks, but “those talks have quieted.” If Cleveland is unable to move Burks by the deadline, he is a strong buyout candidate. He does not fit the Cavaliers’ rebuild, and could be of value to Houston as a scoring reserve.
Wayne Ellington, Miami Heat
Miami is currently straddling the line between the NBA Playoffs and basketball purgatory, all the while staring down the barrel of a steep tax bill if it cannot shed salary by season’s end. The 31-year-old Ellington, just one season removed from setting the NBA reserve single-season three-point record (227), has been relegated to just over 20 minutes per game.
According to Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald, Ellington’s agent met with team officials last month “regarding his limited role and his future with the team.” The Heat could have difficulty trading Ellington without taking salary back, thereby putting a buyout on the table. Houston’s seemingly unending pursuit of wing depth could lead them to this sharpshooting guard.
Dewayne Dedmon, Atlanta Hawks
The Hawks are so far removed from the playoff picture they couldn’t see its broad strokes with hawk-eye vision. Their immediate future is dedicated to rebuilding. Despite putting together a respectable season, Dedmon does not fit that future. The 29-year-old center does, however, provide the kind of size and defensive impact the Rockets need behind Clint Capela.
If (and that’s a relatively big “if”) no team steps forward to take his $7.2-million expiring contract, he is among league veterans who could feasibly hit the buyout market. Though, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps, he is already drawing trade interest from the Philadelphia 76ers.
