Following the Phoenix Suns move to buyout Bradley Beal on Wednesday, the Washington Wizards may be the team to monitor in terms of best buyout candidates to watch.
Entering the offseason, Beal was widely looked at as the most intriguing buyout candidate considering contenders were unwilling to make a trade with the Suns to land the former All-Star guard on his steep contract due to his recent decline in play.
However, after being bought out, Beal was able to sign with the LA Clippers on a two-year, $11 million deal all attention turns to the Wizards who have arguably the best and most realistic buyout candidate of any team in the league.
Marcus Smart landed in Washington ahead of February's NBA trade deadline in a deal from the Memphis Grizzlies who were eagerly looking to get off the veteran's contract.
The hope was that Smart could come in and play the remaining games with the Wizards young squad and serve as a mentor, but also to prove that he had plenty left in the tank to give Washington the option to move him this offseason for additional assets.
Through the start of the offseason, all signs have pointed to there being little to no market for Smart at the moment with most teams hoping that the Wizards may opt to buy him out at some point in the coming months.
Washington has reportedly been looking to move Smart to a favorable situation with a contender to allow him to play meaningful basketball minutes heading into 2025, but as of now he remains a part pf the Wizards roster.
Despite that, if the Wizards were to buyout the former Defensive Player of the Year, he would immediately become a prime target for nearly every contender on the market as he would be a huge addition to nearly every backcourt in the league.
Smart's leadership, defensive tenacity and underrated playmaking would make him impactful in nearly any situation, but a few spots that could make the most sense for the two-way guard could be a return to the Boston Celtics or signing with contending teams like the LA Clippers or Oklahoma City Thunder.
Regardless, there's no doubt that Smart would have plenty of team's interested in his services if he was made available via a buyout from the Wizards.
However, the Wizards don't seem to be in a rush to make a move, especially if they feel a team could call out of desperation to land Smart.
Nonetheless, with Richaun Holmes being the first of many to fall victim to the Wizards number game, a buyout for Smart could be on the horizon if general manager Will Dawkins feels it's in the best interest of the team.