2026 Two-Way Conversion and Buyout Candidates
The trade deadline is over. We saw 1,424,521 trades.
Now is the time known as the conversion period and buyout season. Let’s take a look at all the candidates. Two-way days are tracked courtesy of Spotrac
Conversion candidates
Philadelphia 76ers
Jabari Walker
Games remaining on two-way clock: 0
Dominick Barlow
Games remaining on two-way clock: 9
Expect the Sixers to convert Walker in the coming days after running out of two-way games this week. The Sixers could wait a bit longer to convert Barlow and run out his games first, but they have enough flexibility to convert him now. They cleared enough luxury tax space to convert them after trading Jared McCain to the Thunder and receiving a $5.8 million tax credit from the Paul George suspension
Neither player would be able to play in the postseason without standard contracts. Unlike typical two-way players, both are in their fourth season. They don’t have two-way eligibility beyond this season or restricted free agent eligibility. This could disincentivize them from accepting minimum deals for three or more years. Expect them to sign one plus ones with a team option for next season. The Sixers handed those out to several players last season.
Denver Nuggets
Spencer Jones
Games remaining on two-way clock: 0
The Nuggets held off on converting Jones despite running out of games earlier this week so they can get under the luxury tax line first. His prorated minimum salary also shrinks the longer they wait. He will likely receive the minimum. The big question is how many years is he willing to commit to. He can get up to four years since the Nuggets have their entire non-taxpayer mid-level exception. He could also seek a one plus one, so he could potentially get more than the minimum sooner.
Detroit Pistons
Danis Jenkins
Games remaining on two-way clock: 1
Jenkins has been a lock to get converted for a while now. He’s emerged as a premier reserve playmaker and made a major contribution to the Pistons, having the best record in the East. The holdup was seeing out trade options and creating a roster spot before converting him. They needed to make sure they had enough tax space leftover to convert him without exceeding it. He will likely get a two-year deal with a team option on year two since the Pistons cannot give him longer than that. Then they could make him a restricted free agent this offseason and negotiate a new contract with his Early Bird rights.
Golden State Warriors
Pat Spencer
Games remaining on two-way clock: 1
Spencer got converted last year to a standard contract before getting demoted back to a two-way. He’s played well enough this season, including a strong stretch in December, to get converted again this season. He just needed to wait until the Warriors clear a roster spot and apron space to fit him, which they did in last night’s Kristaps Porzingis trade. They couldn’t after the signing of Seth Curry took up their remaining apron flexibility.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Johnny Juzang
Games remaining on two-way clock: 2
Juzang has been active for almost every game for the Timberwolves, but has only suited up for 19. They’ll convert him eventually, but they could wait until later since they barely play him. He is limited to a two-year deal and has no more two-way eligibility next season. He’ll probably get a rest of the season deal.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Nae’Qwan Tomlin
Games remaining on two-way clock: 4
Tomlin has emerged as one of the Cavaliers’ most reliable backup big men over veterans like Thomas Bryant and Larry Nance Jr. They’ll probably stretch converting him until they use up all his days to minimize their luxury tax penalty. They don’t have access to the mid-level exception, so they are limited to giving him a two-year deal. He’ll probably get a one-plus-one as well.
Los Angeles Clippers
Kobe Sanders
Games remaining on two-way clock: 6
Jordan Miller
Games remaining on two-way clock: 20
Sanders will get converted based on how important he’s been to the Clippers rotation. However, he has another year left on his two-way contract. They’ll still convert him since he’s almost out of games. They are limited to giving him a two-year deal, so expect the second year to be a team option. Then they could give him a new contract in the offseason, or potentially bring him back on another two-way deal. Miller will also get converted but he has plenty of games to run out first.
Portland Trail Blazers
Sidy Cissoko
Games remaining on two-way clock: 4
Caleb Love
Games remaining on two-way clock: 7
The Blazers couldn’t find any trades to reduce payroll or decrease roster spots for Cissoko and Love. They’ll need to waive two players to make room for them now.
Dallas Mavericks
Mousa Cisse
Games remaining on two-way clock: 9
Ryan Nembhard
Games remaining on two-way clock: 7
Nembhard and Cisse will likely get their contracts converted so the Mavericks can continue playing them beyond this month. The Mavericks cannot give them more than a two-year deal, so they should get team options allowing them to enter restricted free agency and sign new long-term contracts. The Mavericks created the space below the second apron shard cap to fit them after trading Anthony Davis. They’ll just need to cut two players.
Washington Wizards
Tristan Vukcevic
Games remaining on two-way clock: 11
Vukcevic has played enough to get his contract converted. The Wizards have the roster spot to do so, but they wanted to play out the trade deadline first before committing it to him. The Wizards have access to most of their mid-level exception, so they can give him more than a two-year deal. They could also give him above the prorated minimum if that’s what it takes to get him to commit for multiple years.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Branden Carlson
Games remaining on two-way clock: 13
Chris Youngblood
Games remaining on two-way clock: 1
This will be interesting. The Thunder would probably like to convert Carlson since they could use an additional big man ahead of the playoffs. Youngblood is about to run out of games, but it doesn’t seem like the Thunder have room in their rotation to give him a standard contract. The acquisition of McCain to their crowded backcourt makes it even less likely.
Sacramento Kings
Dylan Cardwell
Games remaining on two-way clock: 20
The Kings are in no rush to convert Cardwell since they have 20 games available on his clock. However, they have two roster spots to fill after trading three players for De’Andre Hunter. They’ll convert Cardwell to one of them. They can give him more than a three-year deal with their full mid-level exception untouched.
Buyout candidates
Players must be waived before March 1 to retain playoff eligibility with a new team. There are two categories of buyout candidates. The first is players making above the $14.1 million mid-level exception. They can only sign with teams below the $195.9 million first apron. They are prohibited from signing with the Cavaliers, Warriors, and Knicks.
Non-apron teams only
Khris Middleton ($33,296,296)
The Mavericks acquired Middleton primarily as the salary matching piece from the Wizards’ end for Anthony Davis. He could stick around in Dallas if they feel he’d be a good veteran presence around Cooper Flagg. He would be the most highly sought after player if bought out.
Jusuf Nurkic ($19,375,000)
This one seems unlikely since the Jazz are low on big men and need size to get through the regular season. But they’re also sitting Nurkic out a lot for lottery positioning. He could be a difference maker for any team needing a reliable big man to come off the bench.
These are the potential players who could sign with any team
Can sign with any team
Matisse Thybulle ($11,550,000)
Mike Conley Jr. ($10,774,038)
Conley Jr. is expected to be bought out, and it’s possible he returns to Minnesota. It’s allowed since he was traded again after the Wolves first traded him.
Lonzo Ball ($10 million)
The Jazz will reportedly waive Ball. They took him with two second-round picks attached.
Pat Connaughton ($9,423,869)
Connaughton was already waived so the Hornets can create a roster spot to facilitate the Tyus Jones trade.
Georges Niang ($8,200,000)
Niang can be a sneaky good addition to any contender if he can get healthy. The Grizzlies will waive him to make room for the Eric Gordon trade.
Cam Thomas ($5,993,172)
The most surprising addition to the buyout market is here. The Nets waived him after not finding a trade for him. A disappointing end to one of the longer tenured Nets.
Guerschon Yabusele ($5,500,000)
Yabusele is rumored to want to return to Europe. If he does, he would likely need to decline his $5.8 million player option for next season or most of the money.
Dario Saric ($5,426,400)
Saric will likely be waived so the Pistons can create a roster spot to convert Danis Jenkins.
Kevin Love ($4,150,000)
Love was considered a buyout candidate upon being traded to Utah. They’ve held onto him throughout the season and now the trade deadline. Maybe they’ll let him loose so he can join a contender.
Chris Boucher ($2,296,274)
The Jazz took on Boucher because of the second-round pick attached. They will reportedly waive him.
Chris Paul ($2,296,274)
The Raptors reportedly won’t have Paul report to the team. They took him in for Ochai Agbaji because it got them under the luxury tax line. We’ll see if there’s another team interested in Paul’s services.
Mason Plumlee ($2,296,274)
Plumlee was waived by the Thunder after acquiring him from the Hornets. They cut him to create a roster spot for Jared McCain.
Eric Gordon ($2,296,274)
Gordon was traded to the Grizzlies so the Sixers could gain more tax flexibility for their two-way conversions and buyout season. He will likely be waived by the Grizzlies.
These are players who could get bought out but probably won’t. Most of them have an additional non-guaranteed year left on their contract, which complicates things. Most of these players might avoid a buyout so they can have a chance at making some or most of their non-guaranteed money for next season.
DeMar DeRozan ($24,570,000)
C.J. McCollum ($30,666,667 expiring)
D’Angelo Russell ($5,685,000)
Bogdan Bogdanovic ($16,020,000)
Brook Lopez ($8,750,000)
Nicolas Batum ($5,601,600)
Bradley Beal ($5,354,000)
Terry Rozier ($26,643,031 expiring)
Kyle Anderson ($9,219,512)
Kevon Looney ($8,000,000)
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