Tracking contract buyouts for players after NBA Trade Deadline

The NBA Trade Deadline has come and past on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET and it may be one of the more busy days in recent memory. Plenty of moves were made and veteran players on expiring contracts landed on teams who aren’t competing. As a result, we should see a lot of players reaching contract buyouts with new teams so they can pursue an opportunity in the playoffs. We’ll be tracking a list of players either getting a buyout or likely to get one.

Kevin Love, Cleveland Cavaliers

Feb. 19 update: Love plans to join the Heat, per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Love and the Cavs reached a buyout agreement after the big man was relegated to the bench for the most recent stretch of games. Love is reportedly set to join the Heat, but is also going to meet with the 76ers according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

Danny Green, Houston Rockets

Green is a capable three-point shooter and defender who will help any contender, and he’s headed to Cleveland to join the Cavaliers after agreeing to a buyout with Houston per Adrian Wojnarowski. Green was a member of the Grizzlies as he recovered from a torn ACL in the playoffs last year. He’s a three-time NBA champion, winning with the Spurs, Raptors and Lakers. He will be a great addition for the Cavaliers, who believe they can contend with the top of the East.

Russell Westbrook, Utah Jazz

Feb. 20 update: Westbrook has officially been bought out by the Jazz, and he’s actually going to sign with the Clippers per Adrian Wojnarowski.

Feb. 11 update: Westbrook intends to sign with the Bulls once his buyout with the Jazz is complete, according to Brian Windhorst.

Westbrook is set to get a buyout with the Jazz, and has interest from the Los Angeles Clippers and Chicago Bulls. The point guard is looking to rebuild his value after being traded from the Lakers ahead of the offseason where he’ll be a free agent. Being traded four times in four seasons is sure to be somewhat humbling, but the buyout will likely be enough to truly push Westbrook to adjust his game.

Serge Ibaka, Indiana Pacers

Feb. 10 update: Ibaka has officially been waived by the Pacers.

Ibaka hasn’t really been a factor with the Bucks since they acquired him last year at the deadline, and he was salary fodder in their deal to acquire Jae Crowder. The Pacers are set to waive him, so he’ll be available for a contender. The Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns and 76ers will certainly be monitoring his situation in the coming days.

Reggie Jackson, Charlotte Hornets

Feb. 14 update: Jackson has officially signed with the Nuggets.

Feb. 11 update: Jackson has finalized a buyout with the Hornets and is expected to join the Nuggets after clearing waivers, according to Shams Charania.

This was the surprise move of the deadline for the Clippers, who did some re-tooling around the fringes and decided Jackson wasn’t worth keeping around. The point guard has had some big moments for LA and can definitely help a contender off the bench. Look for the Miami Heat, Memphis Grizzlies and Dallas Mavericks to explore adding him to their roster.

John Wall, Houston Rockets

Wall went back to the Rockets on deadline day in a deal that sent Eric Gordon to LA. The veteran point guard is sure to secure another buyout here, and he’ll be available for a contender. The Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Boston Celtics might want to check in with Wall as the buyout market starts to take shape.

Will Barton, Washington Wizards

Feb. 28 update: Barton has finalized a deal to join the Raptors as he attempts to boost the team’s playoff push, according to multiple media reports. This is a good move for Toronto and will give the team some much-needed depth.

Feb. 21 update: Barton has completed his buyout with the Wizards and will be a free agent when he clears waivers. We’ll see who circles around Barton, but he can fit a number of contenders.

The Wizards and Barton are working on a buyout, per Adrian Wojnarowski. Barton is a capable guard who can bolster a contender off the bench, although he hasn’t quite clicked with the Wizards. Maybe he can go back to his former team in Denver, or join an East contender like the 76ers or Heat.

Patrick Beverley, Orlando Magic

Feb. 20 update: Beverley has gotten a buyout from the Magic and is expected to sign with the Bulls for the rest of the season, according to Shams Charania. Beverley returns to his hometown but we’ll see much of an impact he actually has for a struggling Chicago squad desperately needing point guard help.

Beverley and the Magic are working towards a buyout to allow the guard to join a contender, according to Shams Charania. Beverley’s toughness and veteran leadership will be helpful in spurts in the postseason, but there’s a reason the Lakers let him go at the deadline. The guard has struggled to produce offensively and if his three-point shot isn’t falling, his defensive utility isn’t enough to keep him on the floor for long stretches of games.

Terrence Ross, Orlando Magic

Feb. 12 update: Ross was originally expected to sign with the Mavericks but is now heading to the Suns after getting his buyout completed with the Magic.

The Magic have agreed to a buyout with Ross, per Adrian Wojnarowski. The forward is free to join any team and should draw some interest from contenders like the Celtics, 76ers and Mavericks.