When Caron Butler hit the open market, it was assumed that he wold sign with the Miami Heat. The forward started his NBA career with the Heat when the team drafted him in the first round back in 2002 and it seemed likely that he might end it there. However, Miami is not the only one interested in the veteran as the Oklahoma City Thunder plan on making a run after he clears waivers.
The Milwaukee Bucks have finalized a buyout for Butler, leaving him free to clear waivers and sign elsewhere. The Miami Heat were the first to express interest and many reported that a signing was all but guaranteed by the weekend. Butler has solid history with the Heat. He has the support from players like Dwyane Wade in the locker room. He also fits a need which is finding quality depth to play behind Wade when he sits out for injuries.
Yahoo Sports' Adrian Wojnarowski is reporting that the Thunder are actually heavily pursuing Butler after they missed out on landing Danny Granger. Oklahoma City believe they could be contenders since a chance to be a complementary scorer to Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is certainly very appealing. Durant could shift to power forward while Butler steps in at small forward.
This race could get interesting. While the Heat certainly have the upper hand thanks to their history with Butler, the Thunder offer the forward something he is looking for at this point in his career. Durant and Westbrook draw the attention from the defense, leaving Butler to be the reliable spot-up shooter on the court. He got 35 percent of his shots with the Bucks that way.
The Thunder and the Heat appear to be the only two serious contenders for Butler. Considering they are two of the best teams in the league, no one else really has leverage to beat that. The Chicago Bulls have looked his way, but appear set to sign Jimmer Fredette over the weekend. The San Antonio Spurs are interested after missing out on Danny Granger who is signing with the Clippers. If it were to come down to the Spurs, Thunder or Heat, San Antonio is the odd team out. All signs point towards Butler going from the worst team in the league to one with serious chances at a title.