Corey Maggette a buyout candidate
By Dan Feldman
"Should we keep an eye out for more major buyout candidates?KB: I thought Jermaine O’Neal would be the biggest one, but he says he’s staying in Phoenix. I don’t know why he would do that; New York, Miami and Boston certainly would’ve been interested. Beyond that, I view Corey Maggette and Raja Bell as the most likely candidates."
I nearly posted shortly after the trade deadline Corey Maggette could be bought out, but I held the post because I’m not convinced Maggette can play anymore. His style doesn’t hold up well with age, and he hasn’t played at all since Dec. 15. Contending teams could do better, and I’d advise Maggette to reject a buyout for less money than the Pistons owe him unless he has a guaranteed next destination.
For the Pistons, it would be nice to sign a younger player in Maggette’s place. If Maggette accepts a buyout for his salary less a minimum salary, that should be no problem. But if Maggette commands his full salary in a buyout, the Pistons might not have room under the luxury-tax line to sign a replacement.