The buyout period begins at 5 p.m. Wednesday and continues through 5 p.m. on June 30. It is a process that allows teams to get out from onerous contracts, although there are costs to teams, both in real dollars paid to the player and cap space, depending on the age of the player involved and how much term is left.
It is a process that is complicated this summer by the fact teams are preparing for a possible expansion draft a year from now.
That possibility of having to expose veteran players for possible selection by a new team in Las Vegas might see teams decide to keep a player for this season and expose him next summer in the hopes he is selected, therefore costing them nothing in terms of real money and cap space.