NBA Buyout Market 2021: 3 Players who were surprisingly not bought out this season
April 9 was the last day for players to get bought out and hit the NBA buyout market if they wanted to retain their eligibility for the NBA Playoffs. With that out of the way, expect very few roster changes in free agency before the end of the regular season.
This year's NBA buyout market had some stellar names including Blake Griffin, LaMarcus Aldridge and Andre Drummond. Pickings were slim beyond these three, but it's generally the fringe players that end up becoming free agents in the middle of the season anyway.
3 Names that surprisingly didn't land on the NBA Buyout Market
Having said that, there were a few names on rebuilding teams who were expected to hit the NBA buyout market. They never did, though, much to the chagrin of front office executives and fans who wanted these players to join their teams. On that note, let's look at three players who were surprisingly not bought out this season.
#1 Otto Porter Jr. (Orlando Magic)
Otto Porter Jr. was sent to the Orlando Magic earlier this season in the Nikola Vucevic trade. He's owed $28.4 million, is on an expiring deal and has no future on a Magic team that's rebuilding now. Their front office had every incentive to shave off some salary in financially tough times by negotiating a buyout with Porter.
Otto Porter himself has his reasons for pushing towards a buyout. He's still only 27 and out of a contract in the summer. Porter needs to prove his worth to land a decent offer in the offseason, but he won't be afforded the limelight in Orlando.
Despite his injuries, Otto Porter has shot the ball at a 40.2% clip from downtown throughout his career. The combo forward is versatile defensively and can guard multiple frontcourt positions. His is the kind of profile that attracts suitors in the NBA buyout market. Despite all this, Porter remains with the Magic and is likely to finish the season with them.
#2 Avery Bradley (Houston Rockets)
Avery Bradley signed a two-year $11.6 million deal with the Miami Heat in the summer with a team option for the second year. Things didn't really work out for Bradley in Miami due to injuries and he was sent to the Houston Rockets in the Victor Oladipo trade along with Kelly Olynyk.
While Olynyk has come good for the Rockets, Bradley hasn't. He's only averaging 6.6 points on a mediocre 36% clip from the field. He's a good defender but isn't really known for his mentorship skills for the Rockets to pick up his team option.
Considering that Avery Bradley's likely to end up in free agency anyway, negotiating a buyout seemed like the best course for him. Bradley could've joined a contender in free agency to try and resuscitate his value, but he didn't. His 3-and-D profile would've also seen a few teams line up for his services.
#3 Mike Muscala (OKC Thunder)
Mike Muscala is one of those few role-playing centers that can stretch the floor well. Muscala has averaged 9.7 points and 3.8 rebounds per game this season while shooting 37% from downtown. He's missed the last 13 games for the OKC Thunder and is unlikely to feature again this season.
Mike Muscala has a great relationship with OKC Thunder fans. Having said that, Muscala clearly isn't a part of the team's future. Considering that the Thunder's front office is transparent, Muscala would've gotten a buyout had he asked for one, but it seems like he was happy staying put. This is even more intriguing, considering he's only 29 years old and still has a career ahead of him.
Muscala could've gone and played with his buddy Dennis Schroder at the LA Lakers. With free agency looming, he could've gone to any team to showcase his shooting ability to land a good contract in the offseason. But he decided against it.
Also read: 3 Mistakes New York Knicks made in the NBA trade window this season