Top 3 Big-Name Potential Buyout Candidates Before March 1st Deadline

We've already seen some buyout names land new homes in the NBA this month, including Cam Thomas, Jeremy Sochan and Mike Conley.

But the signing deadline for any such players to be eligible for the playoffs is March 1st, this Sunday. With that in mind, we could get a few more buyouts that would allow players to find a contender and be part of a playoff run.

Brett Siegel of Clutch Points has proposed a list of potential big-name buyout candidates; here, we look at the top three:

DeMar DeRozan, Sacramento Kings

We've heard it again for the umpteenth time. DeRozan wants to finish his career playing in his hometown of Los Angeles.

DeMar DeRozan reportedly still has a long-standing desire to finish his career in Los Angeles, per @BrettSiegelNBA 👀 pic.twitter.com/dcEPhXgUzo
— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) February 27, 2026

Whether that's with the Lakers or the Clippers probably doesn't matter. But one thing's for sure—the Sacramento Kings aren't interested in winning, and DeRozan's pure shooting skills get in the way of that. He played only 25 minutes and took only three shots in their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Thursday night.

Yet, Siegel says they still want to keep him around, so DeRozan will have to go to them and plead for a buyout, if he wants it.

Khris Middleton, Dallas Mavericks

Long past his prime, Middleton is far from the All-Star, 20-point scorer, and second-fiddle to Giannis from his days in Milwaukee. But he is still a useful rotation player for sure. The 34-year-old was traded at the deadline earlier this month to Dallas, but he, too, will have to ask for a buyout if he hopes to latch on with a contender. Siegel warns that might come with risk, however, for the pending free agent.

"He would go from a high-paying contract to being viewed as a minimum-like talent. Once players accept a minimum deal, that is essentially what their market looks like for the rest of their career, barring a significant uptick in production."

Russell Westbrook, Sacramento Kings

Going back to the Kings, does Russ want to latch on with a playoff contender? He's already in the minimum-salary category, so no risk on that front for him. He's still putting up solid numbers for the Kings as a starter, even at the age of 37. But Russ had trouble even finding an interested team last offseason, and didn't sign with the Kings until just before the season began. Would there really be a team that wanted to bring him into a playoff push at this point?

"Should interest exist from a playoff-contending team, I am sure Westbrook would strongly consider such an option," writes Siegel, "but it doesn't appear as if that's the case right now."

He's likely to stick it out with a team that really values what he brings, on and off the floor.