Los Angeles Lakers: Early buyout candidates for the playoff push
By Jason Reed
The Los Angeles Lakers are one of the few true title contenders this season and will, therefore, be in the mix for any and every buyout player down the stretch.
At this point in the NBA season, we can typically tell who are the true elite contenders that have a chance of winning the NBA Championship and who are the teams who are simply looking to make the playoffs for something to build off of.
Every year there are about five or six teams, around three in each conference, that have a realistic chance of winning the NBA Title. The Los Angeles Lakers are undoubtedly one of them as they have the best record in the Western Conference and the most talented duo in the league in LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
The Lakers have proven all of the naysayers wrong this season, which is reflected by their winning percentage. The team has played fantastic defense and after a slow start, the three-point percentage is coming around as well.
The Lakers are great and they are good enough today to win the NBA title, but it would be foolish to not improve the team if given the opportunity.
Every season there are a handful of players that get bought out by their current teams and each player becomes a prime target for these contending teams. The biggest name that this could happen to this season is Andre Iguodala, who the Memphis Grizzlies still have not found a trade suitor for.
There are other great veterans that could get bought out and could be brought in on a minimum contract to add something to the team. Here are some potential names to watch for moving forward.