All Night Long. And All Next Day Long. Rockets Buyout Talk.

The NBA Trade Deadline came and went. It was pretty thrilling. It was mostly exciting because Eastern Conference Teams (besides Cleveland in years past) did something besides Sell! Sell! Sell! It’s like a vast weight has been lifted off the East and four teams are really going to go at it to make the NBA Finals. This hasn’t really been seen in close to a decade.

Closer to our spiritual home, the Rockets acquired Iman Shumpert, and they divested from James Ennis III. Sauce Castillo and Wade Baldwin IV have been in three trades in about as many days and never donned Rockets kit. Most importantly, the Rockets once again possess the rights to Maaaaaaaarty Luenen (drafted in 2008).

Moreover the Rockets look to be under the luxury tax. This is important, because every dollar they are under goes directly to me. So you can understand my strong preference for the trades made above.

Sadly, no money is coming my way in any form from the Rockets. It’s always been rather the reverse.

So we are now into Buyout Season. Buyout Season could last a while, but teams wishing maximum goodwill, or most effective tanking (though HOW effective that will now be is debatable) will cut ties with players to be bought out immediately. And many have.

Currently the following players have been bought out, or are thought to be locks, or at least likely candidates, for imminent buyouts or release:

Determined, likely, or at least highly speculative or outright false, destinations are in parentheses.

Markieff Morris

Robin Lopez (Golden State?)

Enes Kanter

Greg Monroe

Wesley Matthews (Indiana)

Wayne Ellington (Detroit)

Marcin Gortat

Zach Randolph

Anthony Davis

Michael Beasley

Carmelo Anthony (Rockets! - I kid.)

Ben McLemore

Shelvin Mack

Kevin Durant

Wade Baldwin IV

Sauce Castillo