3 Players Likely To Get Bought Out After The Trade Deadline

The NBA Trade Deadline is just 15 days away, and rumors are heating up around what teams are or aren't going to do ahead of the 3:00 PM call-off time. Many playoff-hopeful teams have suffered unfortunate injuries over the last several weeks including the Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, and Golden State Warriors, giving those teams more urgency to make some kind of roster move in an effort to put them over the top whether they continue to get bit by the injury bug moving forward - or not.

Unfortunately, many teams don't have the assets needed to go after some of the more impactful players at the deadline, but here are some players that could be signed as free agents following a contract buyout:

Goran Dragic - Toronto Raptors

Goran Dragic was traded to the Toronto Raptors this past offseason as part of the deal that brought Kyle Lowry to the first-place Miami Heat. Dragic has only played in five games with the Raptors this season, and if he isn't traded before the deadline he'll almost certainly be bought out after the fact, where it is expected that he will sign with the Dallas Mavericks. The 35-year-old point guard averaged 13.4 points and 4.4 assists last season in Miami, coming off the bench in 39 of his 50 appearances.

Thaddeus Young - San Antonio Spurs

The San Antonio Spurs are expected to be active ahead of the deadline, but if 33-year-old power forward Thaddeus Young isn't included in a trade package, then many expect the Spurs to buy out the remainder of his contract. Young is set to become an unrestricted free agent after this season, and the Spurs have little incentive to keep the veteran vs. trying to trade him for assets to a team like the Nets or Bulls who could use his defence and finishing ability off the bench. Young came out in December saying he would like to play for a contending team and Coach Gregg Popovich won't want a malcontent around after the deadline.

Deandre Jordan - Los Angeles Lakers

The Los Angeles Lakers are working the phones feverishly trying to make something happen ahead of the deadline. Linked to names such as Eric Gordon, Jerami Grant, and Lou Williams recently, the purple and gold are likely to do something ahead of the deadline, and if they happen to acquire another center that head coach Frank Vogel can trust, then the Lakers have no need to keep Jordan around. The 3x All-NBA center seemed to fall out of Vogel's rotation fairly early in the season and is averaging a career-low 13 minutes per game. His per-36 stats and shooting percentages show essentially zero decline from recent seasons, and many teams could use Jordan's size, rebounding and finishing ability if the Lakers have given up on the former All-Star.