Mike Conley Jr. will likely be the first major entrant onto the NBA buyout market.
The veteran point guard Conley is not expected to remain with the Chicago Bulls, Chris Haynes of NBA TV reported Tuesday. Haynes adds that the two sides will work on a proper path to move forward without each other.
Now 38 years old, Conley was acquired by the Bulls from the Minnesota Timberwolves as part of a three-team trade earlier in the day on Tuesday. With Conley out of the picture in Minnesota, many fans believe that the Timberwolves are now in prime position to land one superstar trade target.
Conley was an All-Star in 2021 as well as an All-Defensive selection in 2013. He was also once the owner of the single biggest contract in NBA history to that point (five years, $153 million from the Memphis Grizzlies in 2016).
But Conley does not have much left in the tank these days. This season for the Timberwolves, he was averaging just 4.4 points and 2.9 assists in a limited role of 18.5 minutes per game off the bench.
That said, Conley, who is on a $10.8 million expiring contract, appears to be headed towards a buyout agreement with the Bulls. He could make sense for a playoff team that needs further depth and leadership at the point guard position, such as this club that was once linked to Conley a few years ago.
