Buyout bandits

THE Brooklyn Nets became the villain of the NBA when it acquired superstar James Harden back in January 2021, forming another super team out in the Eastern Conference. The Nets already had a bevy of riches, having acquired two of the best players in the league, namely Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving in free agency in July 2019. Getting Harden gave the team a potent trio that could lead the Nets to its first NBA championship. It didn’t help that Harden, Irving, and Durant are polarizing superstars who have been involved in various controversies. Recently, Durant was forced to apologize for homophobic remarks.

Brooklyn even became more reviled when it snagged two former All-Stars, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge, from the buyout market. Basically, Griffin and Aldridge’s remaining salaries were “bought” out by their former teams at a discount. The Pistons will still, essentially, payout Griffin’s $75.7-million salary for this season and next at a $13.3-million discount. Meanwhile, the Spurs bought out Aldridge’s $24-million contract minus $7.25 million. Once completed, players from the buyout market are free to sign contracts elsewhere.