What players could be bought out before March 1st eligibility deadline?

There is no deadline for the Celtics to make any tweaks to their 15-man roster before the final day of the regular season but there is a pivotal day coming this weekend for potential roster movement around the league. March 1st is the deadline for any player to be waived by their current team in order to become playoff eligible with a new squad that they sign with after March 1st.

All current free agents on the buyout market have not been of interest to the Celtics for the time being, as evidenced by Danny Ainge’s comments to Toucher and Rich in his weekly interview on Thursday.

"Just because guys are available on the buyout market and there's people that average points doesn't mean it makes your team better," Ainge said.

Bench scoring has been an issue for Boston of late on the west coast trip but with the team still winning games and the starting five all averaging in double figures, Ainge believes too much has been made of the lack of point production from the bench.

"On our team in the 80s, it was like, 'We need bench scoring,’ Ainge said. “It's like, 'No you don't. Not when you have five starters that are scoring 120 points (per game),' A lot of teams put their second- or third-best player off the bench. I think that's always overrated, bench scoring. I think depth is important, but you need to have guys that fit into their roles."

So while names like Isaiah Thomas and Tyler Johnson may have no interest to Boston currently, the bigger question for the next two days is whether any new names will shake loose from bad teams that have fallen further out of the playoff race since the trade deadline? Will a veteran push for a buyout to get a chance at a ring? Will some teams look to save some cash and go younger for the final two months? Let’s take a look at a few of the possibilities that could potentially be added to the free-agent market this weekend for the Celtics and other teams to look at.

Evan Turner: The Wolves are clearly focused on the future now after landing D’Angelo Russell so cutting Turner to save some money is probably on their to-do list if Turner can secure a roster spot elsewhere. There’s no question Turner would welcome a return to Boston but the bigger wonder is whether the C’s are willing to cut someone loose for him. Creating a roster spot for Turner is not simple since he doesn’t add 3-point shooting and cut candidates like Javonte Green have been helpful at times this year when given the opportunity. Turner knows the C's system though and has playoff experience, playing big minutes for the Blazers last year in their run to the Conference Finals (albeit with ugly numbers).

Adding him would simply be ‘break in the case of emergency’ veteran piece if injuries hit or if Brad Wanamaker is struggling but the Celtics will have to make a choice whether he is worthy of a roster spot at age 31. The Celtics have Green under contract (non-guaranteed) next season and he’s younger and more athletic than Turner, but would Stevens even trust him in a playoff situation? The emergence of Romeo Langford has reduced the need for Green from a defensive standpoint and Turner clearly brings better ball handling/can run the point in a pinch. A decision doesn’t need to be made by Boston on this quite yet but Turner’s buyout negotiations may be impacted by whether he knows he has a roster spot landing somewhere. The clock is ticking on him to hit the open market.

Wayne Ellington: On the surface, Ellington appears to be an ideal buyout candidate with the Knicks given his age (32) and limited playing time. However, rumors of a possible buyout after the trade deadline have fizzled of late even as most of his minutes have dried up. A Knicks source told Newsday last week that they have no interest in pursuing any other buyouts but that might simply be a negotiating tool since a lot of veteran players like Ellington have $1 million of their salary guaranteed for next season, which the Knicks would probably want back if they cut them for this year. Ellington’s numbers aren’t impressive amid his injury-plagued year (34.6 from 3-point range) but he’s a career 37.8 percent shooter from deep and clearly would fill a useful catch-and-shoot role for certain matchups off the bench for some contender. The Knicks may want to use his contract as a salary matching trade tool this summer but otherwise, it’s hard to see him having a future in New York at his price tag. Given the lack of opportunity, Ellington may make a final push for free agency.

Taj Gibson: An experienced defensive big that doesn’t have a ton left in the tank at age 34 but has started for the Knicks all year long in spot minutes. He would be some useful end of the bench depth over someone like Vincent Poirier but there have no been any rumors at all with him involving a buyout. Knicks may want to keep him around for his veteran leadership and guidance but he has an unguaranteed team option next year for $10 million that is unlikely to be picked up. For a ringless veteran, he might make a push towards a contender.

Tristan Thompson: The initial report came three weeks ago that the Cavs were not interested in buying out the center even after trading for Andre Drummond amid reports the team could bring him back next season. Doing that while paying Drummond $28 million seems like a foolish use of resources but the Cavs have done a lot of confusing things lately. His mobility, size and rebounding would make him a candidate to play crunch-time defensive minutes at the center spot against the Bucks, Sixers and other teams with big frontlines. The problem for Boston if he makes a push to get cut loose this weekend? They would have tons of competition for Thompson from other contenders across the league (Lakers, Clippers, Rockets, etc.) If Thompson does manage to come free, the Celtics will make a good case since they can offer meaningful minutes and potential crunch time opportunities. However, they would have to be considered the underdog if Thompson wants the best chance at winning a ring.

Other names to watch

Pistons veterans: Detroit is seven games out of a playoff spot with just 22 games left to play, already having essentially given up on the playoff race after dealing Andre Drummond away for nothing. That leaves them playing for the future now and there are still a number of veterans on this roster with expiring deals in Langston Galloway, John Henson and Brandon Knight. Galloway is probably the only one worthy of a roster spot in Boston (or on most contenders) given how ineffective Henson and Knight have been for the past two seasons. Whether or not Galloway wants to leave though when he’s still getting playing time in Detroit is another matter. Like Ellington, he’s a good sharpshooting option for a playoff bench somewhere but is probably not a lock for minutes on a good team. He remains a name to watch regardless but he may simply opt for more playing time to try to build his market this summer.

Guys that probably aren’t getting bought out since their teams are still in playoff races

Bismack Biyombo: Charlotte is still somehow just six games out of a playoff spot with 24 games left to play and Biyombo remains a starter with Zeller injured. Don’t see him getting cut loose unless he’s willing to give up a lot of money to do so.

Yogi Ferrell: De’Aaron Fox just got hurt and the Kings are only four games out of a playoff spot so Ferrell is back in the playoff rotation.

Final Thoughts

Ultimately, unless someone like Ellington gets bought out, this is probably going to come down to whether Brad Stevens and the coaching staff prefers to have Evan Turner on the end of the bench over a rookie like Javonte Green or Vincent Poirier. Green has been slowly phased out of the rotation in the past few weeks and Turner would provide some helpful ballhandling and size on the wing. We know Stevens is a huge fan from his time here even though Turner’s skillset has diminished considerably over the last four years.

If Turner gets the buyout in the next two days, I’d peg the Celtics as a favorite to land him. Otherwise, the odds strengthen that the front office stands pat with this group barring a serious injury somewhere.