Clippers Get Butler for a Second round pick in 2016

http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/news?slug=ap-hornets-clipperstrade&prov=ap&type=lgns

LOS ANGELES (AP)—The Clippers have acquired shooting guard Rasual Butler(notes) and cash from the New Orleans Hornets in exchange for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2016.

Butler had the most productive season of his seven-year career in 2008-09, averaging 11.2 points and 3.3 rebounds while playing in all 82 games for the Hornets, who made the playoffs. He shot 40 percent from the floor and 37 percent from 3-point range to match his career averages.“We believe he is another piece who will help us get back to being a competitive playoff team,” Clippers coach and general manager Mike Dunleavy said.

The move will save the Hornets about $3.9 million while opening opportunities for competition at guard between 2007 first-round pick Julian Wright(notes), veteran Morris Peterson(notes) and rookie Marcus Thornton(notes), a former LSU star who the Hornets acquired through a trade with Miami during the second round of the draft.

“One chapter ends and another begins! Gonna MISS the Hornets,” Butler said on his Twitter feed. “I am excited about being a Clipper! Thanks N.O. for all the support u guys gave me! Thank u to all those who have welcomed me to L.A.!!!!”

Butler played three seasons in Miami before being traded to the Hornets in 2005.

The Hornets have been trying to lower payroll to reduce their exposure to the NBA’s punitive luxury tax.

The league has a dollar-for-dollar tax on teams with payrolls that exceed a certain threshold set every summer. When the NBA set that mark at $69.9 million last month, New Orleans’ payroll was around $78 million, meaning the small-market Hornets faced the prospect of having to pay about $8 million in luxury taxes back to the league if they didn’t make any deals by next winter’s trading deadline.

When the Hornets traded Tyson Chandler(notes) to Charlotte for Emeka Okafor(notes) in late July, they lowered payroll by about $1.3 million. By trading Butler, they have now cut total payroll by about $5.2 million this summer, and their savings effectively could be double that amount because their exposure to the luxury tax also has been lowered.

I actually like this for the Clippers, they now have the best twitterer in the league.

I'm also convinced the guy has multiple-personality disorder based on his twits.

I can't wait for him, Artest, and Stephen Jackson to wind up at some club together.

2016? DANG thats looking ahead

Remember, that pick in 2016 will be "The" Steal

If the Clippers get their act together, they could be dangerous this season.

Maybe if they un-do the Davis-for-Maggette swap, dump Thornton somewhere (maybe get Q-Rich back?), Dunleavy steps down and they sign Ramon Sessions, they could give Phoenix and Houston a scare in the race for the 8 seed.

Assuming Griffin plays like Paul Milsap, I have them around 34-48 playing this:

Code:

thornton,al   36.4
gordon,eric   33.9
davis,baron   33.9
milsap,paul   33.9
camby,marcus   24.2
kaman,chris   24.2
butler,rasual   14.5
telfair,sebastia   14.5
smith,craig   14.5
novak,steve   12.1

Assuming Davis and Kaman play as well as they did in 2007-08 puts them at 45-37. (Replacing Thornton with Battier puts them at 42-40 and 54-28 respectively.)

But this is the Clips, so Davis is going to play even worse than last year, they'll waive Craig Smith and Steve Novak, Griffin will play like Kwame Brown and Eric Gordon will turn into a 6-3 Ricky Davis who they'll trade for Willie Green and Gordon will then revert back to his proper career path.

But this is the Clips, so Davis is going to play even worse than last year, they'll waive Craig Smith and Steve Novak, Griffin will play like Kwame Brown and Eric Gordon will turn into a 6-3 Ricky Davis who they'll trade for Willie Green and Gordon will then revert back to his proper career path.

You never know what Clippers might do.. I wouldn't be surprised if they gave Thornton 40+ mpg.

Lamrock, the 8th seed is their ceiling right now.

Yep, which isn't very dangerous...

Kaman might play like his 2007-08 self, but Baron matching his career season is extremely unlikely. It will probably be somewhere in between GSW08 Baron and 240lb LAC Baron. Griffin being as good as Millsap is 50/50. All of those variables make a Clippers playoff run extremely unlikely. They could do what the Hawks did and randomly become way better for some reason.

Well, it's not like the Clippers could get much worse.

The Hawks had a gradual build from 26->36->46 wins. They rose in their playoff position because of drastic drops by teams like Detroit and Washington.

I had the Clips, pre-Randolph, around 30-32 wins or something last year. So 35-45 as an optimal projection would seem to match the additions of a Griffin, Gordon's development, Davis returning to form, etc.

2016? The Hornets must have bad-ass 12-and-under scouts.