Two of the biggest targets on the buyout market have already been gobbled up by the Pistons and Pacers, respectively, as Wayne Ellington and Wesley Matthews have found homes with Eastern Conference squads with playoff aspirations.
What’s been interesting is that those two passed on opportunities with teams with designs on a title to take a larger role with an eye on this summer’s free agency. The best teams often rely on the buyout market to make improvements to their team’s depth, but to this point that hasn’t been the case (albeit very early in the process).
Toronto appears poised to be the first serious contender to strike on the buyout market as Hawks point guard Jeremy Lin is in the process of securing a buyout and heading north of the border to provide guard depth for the Raptors, per his agents via ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Jeremy Lin is finalizing a buyout with Atlanta, clearing the way for him to sign with Toronto, agents Jim Tanner and Roger Montgomery tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 11, 2019
Lin was always expected to finish the season somewhere other than Atlanta, and the guard will provide some added depth and a veteran presence for Toronto’s excellent bench unit. Lin has had a solid season in Atlanta behind rookie Trae Young, averaging 11.8 points and 4.4 assists in just under 26 minutes per game for the Hawks.
