Butler secures buyout from Bucks and is expected to clear waivers.
The Miami Heat and Oklahoma City Thunder have emerged as the favourites to land Caron Butler, after the veteran star secured a buyout from the Milwaukee Bucks.
Butler is expected to clear waivers and become a free agent later on Thursday, with league sources also suggesting that the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs are planning on making late pitches, as reported by Yahoo! Sports.
It is understood that the Thunder have stopped their pursuit of Danny Granger, which has led many to believe that they are confident of their chances of signing Butler to fill that gap on their roster.
As a result, the Los Angeles Clippers have emerged as strong leaders to sign Granger, leaving Miami to also turn their attention to Butler ahead of Saturday’s deadline.
Butler, a two-time All-Star, will be relieved to have agreed on a deal to allow him to leave Milwaukee, and ultimately will now become a vital piece in a championship chasing team, whether that is on the East or West remains to be seen.
Miami are attempting to entice Butler to return to where his career began after being selected as the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, but the chance to fill the gap as a complementary scorer alongside Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook is said to be an appealing proposition to the 33-year-old.
Butler is averaging 11 points in 34 games for Milwaukee this season, and that is a slight drop from his career average of 15.3 points per game over a 12-year span.
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