Now that the trade deadline has passed, contending teams will look to bolster their respective rosters in the buyout market. While the players that become available in the buyout market are never stars, there can be solid contributors that are up for grabs.
One notable buyout player is Tristan Thompson, who was released from the Indiana Pacers and will be signing a new deal with the Chicago Bulls.
Although the deal was announced by Pacers coach Rick Carlisle late last week, the Bulls made the deal official in a press release on Saturday. To make room for Thompson, the Bulls subsequently released Alfonzo McKinnie.
While he isn’t necessarily a starting caliber big anymore, Thompson has 11 years of NBA experience. He’s a force in the paint, standing at 6-foot-9 and 254 pounds.
On his career, Thompson has averaged 9.1 points and 8.5 rebounds per contest. This season, he has spent time with the Pacers and Sacramento Kings, producing 6.3 points and 5.3 boards in 34 contests. As the Bulls look to make a deep playoff run, Thompson’s experience could be key as he’s been to the NBA Playoffs five times, logging 83 games (70 starts) of action.
