Sam Cassell, Jamaal Magloire, Brent Barry... There's a lot of noise these days about players getting picked up by teams trying to make a deep playoff run this spring. It has become a trend in recent years. Veterans stuck in losing franchises get their contracts bought out and join playoff squads that may give them a shot at the ring (or at least at reviving their careers). How's that working out for those players and the clubs that sign them?

Not all that well.

Of the 24 players bought out of their contracts and subsequently signed by playoff teams between January 1 and the beginning of the playoffs the last five seasons, only two (Lindsey Hunter and Glenn Robinson) won the championship that year. Hunter averaged just 2.4 ppg for the Pistons in the 2004 playoffs following a trade that sent him from Detroit to Boston in February and a release that got him back in Motown later that month. Meanwhile, Robinson scored 50 points (on 35.6 percent shooting) in San Antonio's title run.

- I think this is a weak argument since only ONE team wins the NBA championship each year. How many teams sign more than ONE player whose contract has been bought out? That being said, "2/5" is a pretty good ratio.

I don't fault veteran players who seek to be bought out from lottery teams. If it wasn't in those teams' best interests, they wouldn't agree to the buyouts.