With the 2025 NBA trade deadline in the rearview mirror, many teams are looking ahead to the buyout and free agent market. Those teams are usually contenders trying to fill out their roster. However, there is an opportunity for rebuilding teams to grab players as well. Signing a free agent late in the season isn’t necessarily common for rebuilding teams, but there is no reason that a team wouldn’t want to take a flyer on a young player to see if they might be a good fit for the team’s future. Let’s look at some of the best NBA buyout and free agent options for teams that might not be championship contenders.
The 5 Best NBA Buyout/Free Agent Options For Non-Contenders
Five: James Wiseman
James Wiseman has had a rough start to his career. He was the number two overall pick for the Warriors in 2010. Now he is recovering from a torn Achilles and is without a team at only 23 years old. Wiseman has only played 148 career games and has yet to find his footing on an NBA floor. He still has two things going for him, however. One, he is still very young. We’ve seen “busts” turn their careers around many times before, and Wiseman still has plenty of time to improve. Two, he still has tantalizing size and athleticism. A rebuilding team could be interested in getting him now while his stock is so low.
Four: Chris Duarte
Chris Duarte has seen his numbers slowly decline since his rookie season with the Pacers. This year, he only played 17 games with the Bulls, averaging 2.1 points while shooting 40% from the three-point line. Duarte is a bit older as a reclamation project at 27 years old, but as a rookie in 2021-22, he showed he could be a contributor on an NBA roster (averaged 13.1 points per game). He shoots 34.9% from three for his career, so a team could take a risk on him if they need a shooter.
Three: Killian Hayes
Killian Hayes is only 23 years old but has already played over 200 NBA games. With the Pistons, he showed flashes of potential but never really lived up to the hype as a lottery pick. In 28 combined regular season and Tip-Off Tournament games in the G League this season, he is averaging 16.7 points, 7.8 assists, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Hayes still has something to give an NBA team, and once he improves his shooting stroke, he could become a dangerous player. He could easily be the best NBA free agent option on this list.
Two: Jalen Hood-Schifino
Jalen Hood-Schifino is a promising young guard who could benefit from a fresh start. As a 6-foot-6 combo guard, he has the size, scoring ability, and playmaking skills to develop into a solid contributor. After being drafted 17th overall by the Lakers, he saw little playing time on a veteran-heavy team. While he needs to improve his consistency as a scorer, he has shown promise in the G League, averaging 22.0 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 43.2% from three in 15 regular season games.
One: Bones Hyland
Bones Hyland has the potential to be one of the best NBA buyout candidates. While he is a ball-dominant player who thrives on creating his own shot, that kind of offensive aggressiveness can be an asset for a team looking to develop talent and find reliable scorers. Hyland has already demonstrated his ability to put up points, averaging 7.2 points per game while shooting 38.8% from three in limited minutes with the Clippers. It has been his most efficient season shooting the ball. In a rebuilding situation where player development and offensive experimentation are prioritized over strict system play, Hyland could thrive.
