Los Angeles Lakers

5 players who could change teams after the trade deadline passes

Published Feb. 18, 2016 10:50 a.m. ET

Brett Pollakoff

The NBA's trade deadline will come and go at 3 p.m. ET on Thursday, but that doesn't mean we won't see players change teams once that time has passed.

Contract buyouts become increasingly more likely this time of year, and when they do take place, those players instantly become unrestricted free agents, and can sign anywhere they like.

There's a downside here, of course, because there's usually a reason that most of these guys aren't wanted in their current situations.

Kevin Martin has been hobbled off and on this year, and his points per game and field goal percentage averages are the lowest he's posted in more than 11 seasons.

David Lee has fallen mostly out of the rotation in Boston, and wants an opportunity to show he can still be an impact player somewhere else. The same goes for J.J. Hickson in Denver.

Roy Hibbert has been serviceable at center for the Lakers, but his services aren't needed on one of the league's worst teams. If L.A. can save some of the $15.5 million they owe Hibbert for this season, cutting ties early may make some sense since he'll likely be gone anyway when he becomes an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Ty Lawson may have the most potential of the group, but a combination of off-court issues and a lack of a fit in Houston may see him hit the market very soon. He can definitely still play, but it will be tricky for teams to try to place him into the right situation.