Like the trade market, this year's buyout market was also bustling.
Teague of the Timberwolves, Roberson of the Thunder, Parsons of the Grizzlies, McGee and Marvin Williams of the Hornets, Thompson of the Celtics... they were all popular targets on the buyout market.
None of those names interested the Pelicans. The one who truly caught their attention was Ariza of the Kings.
As Ariza got older, he had kept signing short-term deals. However, thanks to his quality 3-and-D attributes, those short-term contracts were not cheap.
That included the one-year, $15 million deal he had previously signed with the Suns, as well as the one-year, $13 million deal he signed with the Kings last summer.
But neither of those short-term deals had allowed him to play the role he deserved.
The Suns had missed the Playoffs last season, and the Kings were in serious danger of missing them this season as well.
Moreover, Ariza's situation was even worse than last season's. Because of Belica's outstanding performances, he had been squeezed out of the Rotation Lineup.
If things continued at this pace, once this contract ended, there was a very high probability that he could only get a veteran's minimum next season. He might even be directly eliminated from the NBA.
In recent years, as the Salary Cap had risen, role players had found their room for survival increasingly limited, especially aging veterans like them.
So he had proactively approached the Kings about a buyout, hoping to join a championship-contending team.
The Kings had agreed as well. They could no longer give Ariza Playing Time.
Rather than keep him on the roster taking up a spot, they might as well find an experienced player on the buyout market who could get on the court. That would also improve the team's strength.
Besides,