Former Celtics Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley unlikely to be bought out

If Boston is to sign a buyout player, it seems unlikely to be one of these two former Celtics.

After missing out on the Andre Drummond sweepstakes in the 2021 NBA buyout market, Boston Celtics fans turned their attention to a pair of former Celtics who were expected to be potential buyout candidates after a midseason trade to a team with little hope of a postseason berth.

That team would be the lowly Houston Rockets — currently tied for the league’s second-worst record and fresh off of a historic losing streak — and the players old friends Kelly Olynyk and Avery Bradley. The duo had been dealt to the Rockets as part of a package for shooting guard Victor Oladipo on the March 25 trade deadline.

Given neither of the pair were likely to figure in the future of a team staring down at least a short-term rebuild, Bradley and Olynyk seemed plausible buyout candidates familiar with the Celtics’ system.