What moves are next for the NBA title contenders?

Which players can contending NBA teams add now via free agency?

With the deadline in the rearview mirror, teams have turned their attention to the buyout market, which got started over the weekend when the Charlotte Hornets waived forwards Michael Kidd-Gilchrist and Marvin Williams. Our Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Williams intends to sign with the Milwaukee Bucks when he clears waivers on Monday, while the Dallas Mavericks are a possible destination for Kidd-Gilchrist.

What do we think of those moves, and which other players might make sense for buyouts or as free agents?

ESPN insiders Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton break down the market.

Assessing the NBA buyout market

Pelton: Bobby, I'd say the best free agent potentially available the rest of the season came off the board Sunday when Wojnarowski reported that Darren Collison will remain retired rather than joining one of the L.A. teams, who must now look elsewhere.

According to Marc Stein of the New York Times, Reggie Jackson of the Detroit Pistons is weighing whether to take a buyout, with the Clippers a possible destination.

I'm unsure whether that makes sense. I wouldn't want to take minutes away from Patrick Beverley and Lou Williams, and I don't think Jackson would be happy if he's out of the rotation when both of those players are healthy. Maybe Doc Rivers can slide Lou Williams to the 2 more frequently, but I'd want to better understand Jackson's role before signing him. If the Clippers are looking strictly for emergency depth at the position, perhaps Tyler Johnson -- waived Sunday by the Phoenix Suns -- would work?

Do you think Jackson would make sense for the Clippers or Lakers?

Marks: One important thing to remember when we discuss the buyout market is that the agent has to know that there is a landing spot for the player before he elects to take a haircut in salary. So if Jackson is going to reduce his compensation by $1 million from Detroit, he needs to know that a team will sign him right after he clears waivers.

I think Jackson would be a step below what Collison could offer. I don't see him as a playmaker but more as an undersized shooting guard. That's something the Lakers already have with Avery Bradley, Troy Daniels and Quinn Cook. I don't see him playing ahead of Lou Williams or Landry Shamet for the Clippers either. Jackson would be more an insurance policy for either team and seeing limited playing time is a risk for a player who will become a free agent in July.

Marvin Williams is a perfect example of how a buyout works. As Wojnarowski reported on Friday, Williams and Charlotte elected to part ways, with the Bucks to sign him once he clears waivers.

What are your thoughts on Williams to the Bucks and how he fits in?

Pelton: I think Williams might have been more of a difference-maker on a team with a shorter bench like Houston or Utah, but there's no question he helps Milwaukee's chances of winning the East. Mike Budenholzer now can move Giannis Antetokounmpo to center without having to sacrifice as much size in the frontcourt, or losing athleticism by playing Ersan Ilyasova next to Giannis. That gives Budenholzer more interesting options in the playoffs.

Do you think Williams was the best buyout candidate available?

Marks: For now, yes, and Milwaukee was smart not to wait until after the All-Star break -- when more players might be bought out.

I am intrigued by Kidd-Gilchrist too. I know that the former No. 2 overall pick will go down as a missed opportunity in Charlotte, but I look at him as a big wing who can guard either forward position. He is certainly a liability on the offensive end, but teams are looking at buyout candidates as specialists.

Let's look ahead to the players who are not available right now but could be. Some names to keep an eye on are John Henson, Wayne Ellington, Johnson, Maurice Harkless and Matthew Dellavedova. Any of those names have appeal to you?

Pelton: Harkless would, for sure. He was starting the majority of the time for the Clippers before being included in the Marcus Morris Sr. trade as matching salary. He has hit 37% of his 3s so far this season, though that's out of line with the rest of his career (33%).

I know the Mavericks are concerned about matching up with combo forwards LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard, but I still think Harkless would be a better fit for them than Kidd-Gilchrist because he can offer some semblance of floor spacing. Kidd-Gilchrist is a career 28% 3-point shooter who's never made more than 16 in a season. When Dallas runs pick-and-roll with Kidd-Gilchrist in the corner, expect his man to be planted at the edge of the paint hoping to disrupt any path to the basket.

Do you think the Knicks will buy out Harkless? And what about Tristan Thompson, another player who could undoubtedly help a contender if he hits the market?

Marks: There is a good chance that Harkless does get bought out, but that might not be until the end of February. The Mavericks should be on the phone with his agent, Bill Duffy, checking in on a possible buyout in New York.

I agree with you that Harkless is a better fit than MKG. However, Harkless might have to play the waiting game because of the challenge of getting a decision out of a front office in transition in New York. Does Scott Perry, the general manager, have the authority to execute a buyout? Ideally, yes, considering that it would open up a roster spot for New York to perhaps sign a G League player.

I don't think that Thompson gets bought out. His agent, Rich Paul, should look at the landscape this summer and realize that he will lose leverage on a buyout because Bird rights will be lost. For example, if Thompson signs with a team like Boston, all the Celtics could offer over the summer is the $6 million taxpayer midlevel exception.

The best bet is that Thompson stays and both sides explore the sign-and-trade market this summer (or the Cavaliers cut him loose and go forward with Andre Drummond at center). A sign-and-trade is especially appealing, with only Atlanta, Charlotte, Detroit, Miami, New York and Phoenix having cap space -- and four of those six teams do not need to spend big money on a center.

But if Thompson does become available, which team makes sense? And should teams focus on veteran free agents Jamal Crawford, Jeff Green, JR Smith and Iman Shumpert?

Pelton: Enough contending teams could offer Thompson a role -- Boston, Houston and the Clippers, most notably -- that I think it would probably be more about how he prioritizes the market and the chances of winning a championship. If it's me, I'm probably heading to the Clippers with a real shot at starting over Ivica Zubac in the playoffs on the team I consider the favorites in the Western Conference -- putting him in a city where Thompson owns an offseason home.

Of the group you mentioned, I'd give Shumpert the best shot of earning a spot in a playoff rotation with his perimeter defense. He played a role off the bench for the Rockets in the 2019 postseason, something nobody else in this group did.

Anyone else we're missing, Bobby?

Marks: One name that I am keeping my eye on is Courtney Lee in Dallas. He has been getting minutes lately (going for 11 points on 3-for-5 from 3-point range in a win at Washington on Friday), but will he be the odd man out if they sign a player like Kidd-Gilchrist? Lee is a career 38.8% 3-point shooter and has played 50 games in the playoffs.

One more team to keep an eye on is the Minnesota Timberwolves. They are $894,000 over the luxury tax line and looking to shed salaries to duck below the threshold. The likelihood is that veterans Allen Crabbe and/or Evan Turner go the buyout route, or at least one of the role players acquired in the Golden State trade, Omari Spellman and Jacob Evans. But as noted earlier, it would be hard for a player like Turner to take a reduction in pay without a landing spot.

Before we wrap this up, does Turner make sense for a playoff team in need of depth off the bench?

Pelton: I'm not sure I see a good fit for Turner at this point, having barely played this season (just 251 minutes with the Atlanta Hawks before he was traded to Minnesota). It is worth noting for the record that because Turner was traded again before potentially being waived, the Portland Trail Blazers could bring him back after trading him last summer, something that would have been illegal had the Hawks waived Turner.

Because of his defensive limitations, Spellman probably isn't a good playoff option, but he might be worth signing so as to get him under a multiyear contract that is partially guaranteed in future years. Spellman made solid progress during his half-season with the Golden State Warriors, improving his conditioning and upping his 3-point percentage to 39%.

Any final thoughts?

Marks: The big question to me will be how much impact the free agents signed in February will have. Our own Tim MacMahon made a great point that the last player who was signed after the trade deadline and played more than 100 postseason minutes on a title team was Peja Stojakovic in 2011 with Dallas. Perhaps Williams will become the next name on that list.

Projected playoff teams and roster spots

• Boston Celtics (0) | Exception: Minimum

• Brooklyn Nets (0) | Exception: Minimum and $839,000 Disabled Player Exception

• Dallas Mavericks (0) | Exception: Minimum

• Denver Nuggets (1) | Exception: Minimum, partial midlevel and biannual

• Houston Rockets (2) | Exception: Minimum and partial midlevel

• Indiana Pacers (0) | Exception: Minimum

• LA Clippers (2) | Exception: Minimum

• Los Angeles Lakers (0) | Exception: Minimum and $1.75 million Disabled Player Exception

• Memphis Grizzlies (1) | Exception: Minimum and partial biannual

• Miami Heat (0) | Exception: Minimum, partial midlevel and biannual

• Milwaukee Bucks (0) | Exception: Minimum

• Oklahoma City Thunder (1) | Exception: Minimum, partial midlevel and biannual

• Orlando Magic (0) | Exception: Minimum, partial midlevel and $4.6 million Disabled Player Exception

• Philadelphia 76ers (0) | Exception: Minimum

• Phoenix Suns (1)

• Toronto Raptors (0) | Exception: Minimum and partial midlevel

• Utah Jazz (0) | Exception: Minimum

Projected lottery teams and roster spots

• Atlanta Hawks (1)

• Charlotte Hornets (2)

• Chicago Bulls (0)

• Cleveland Cavaliers (2)

• Detroit Pistons (0)

• Golden State Warriors (2)

• Minnesota Timberwolves (0)

• New Orleans Pelicans (0)

• New York Knicks (0)

• Phoenix Suns (0)

• Portland Trail Blazers (1)

• Sacramento Kings (1)

• San Antonio Spurs (0)

• Washington Wizards (0)

The buyout and free-agent candidates

• Denzel Valentine | Chicago Bulls

• Tristan Thompson | Cleveland Cavaliers

• Matthew Dellavedova | Cleveland Cavaliers

• Reggie Jackson | Detroit Pistons

• John Henson | Detroit Pistons

• Brandon Knight | Detroit Pistons

• Evan Turner | Minnesota Timberwolves

• Omari Spellman | Minnesota Timberwolves

• Allen Crabbe | Minnesota Timberwolves

• Bobby Portis | New York Knicks

• Maurice Harkless | New York Knicks

• Wayne Ellington | New York Knicks

• Isaiah Thomas | Free agent

• Jeff Green | Free agent

• Iman Shumpert | Free agent

• JR Smith | Free agent

• Jamal Crawford | Free agent

• Tyrone Wallace | Free agent

• Dion Waiters | Free agent

• Tyler Johnson | Free agent