A player that could be about to hit the buyout market right away after the conclusion of the trade deadline is the former Kentucky Wildcats small forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. Having a down season with the Charlotte Hornets thus far, MKG is going to be one of the early buyout market targets for a lot of NBA playoff contenders.
Bobby Marks reported on his Twitter timeline on Feb. 8 that the Hornets already made the move early Saturday afternoon to put MKG on waivers. He will reportedly clear waivers on Monday and potential suitors will be able to sign him.
Charlotte makes it official and has waived Michael Kidd-Gilchrist. The forward will clear waivers on Monday at 5PM EST.
— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) February 8, 2020
And per a report from Rod Boone of The Athletic NBA (beat writer for the Hornets), there’s a handful of good landing spots already emerging for Kidd-Gilchrist. That list of possible landing spots that Boone posted on his Twitter timeline includes the Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and the Mavericks.
Potential destinations for Michael Kidd-Gilchrist could be Dallas, Oklahoma City, Houston or the Clippers. Mavericks appear to be the most likely landing spot, per a league source.
— Rod Boone (@rodboone) February 8, 2020
The Bulls could be a good landing spot for MKG since they have a positional need to upgrade on the wing. But that would mean that the Bulls front office is really committing to making a playoff race under head coach Jim Boylen in the East this year.
Even though the Mavericks could be emerging as the early favorites to land MKG off of waivers, the Bulls can’t afford to pass up any opportunity they would have to legitimately bolster their wing depth down the stretch this season.