NBA Rumors: Caron Butler Would Reopen Spurs' Championship Window

The aging San Antonio Spurs were eliminated from last season's playoffs by a younger, more athletic Memphis Grizzlies team. Prevailing wisdom said the series closed San Antonio's championship window, but a move for free agent Caron Butler could change that in a heartbeat (via David Aldridge).

Butler has also been linked to the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls since a labor agreement was reached and as contenders attempt to add cost-effective depth.

The former 10th overall pick has always carried around an injury-prone label, but he's a dynamic contributor when healthy. He averaged 15 points and four rebounds while shooting a career-high 43 percent from beyond the arc for the Dallas Mavericks last season.

He'd be a major upgrade over Richard Jefferson, who has never found his niche with the Spurs after being acquired to rejuvenate the offense. The longtime New Jersey Nets small forward would need to be cut via the amnesty clause to open up cap space for Butler.

San Antonio also acquired Kawhi Leonard on draft night, but it's unclear if the San Diego State product would be able to make an immediate impact.

With Tim Duncan starting to break down after 14 seasons, Manu Ginobili taking a lot of bumps throughout the season and the seemingly endless rumor mill hype around Tony Parker, the Spurs' big three doesn't have much time left.

That means they can't wait for Jefferson to find a groove or for Leonard to reach his potential. If they're going to add another chapter to the dynasty, it needs to happen soon.

Butler, who should enter training camp healthy, would give them the best opportunity to hang with the likes of Dallas and Los Angeles in the Western Conference. The Spurs learned last season that regular season success is meaningless if you can't back it up in the playoffs.

Head coach Gregg Popovich has always been conservative during the regular season with minutes, which should help Butler stay healthy. Having him available when the postseason rolls around is more important than any string of regular season clashes.

His arrival would give San Antonio four viable threats on offense. If the combination of Tiago Splitter and DeJuan Blair can fill the fifth spot, the Spurs should have enough depth to make another deep playoff run.

That's something that won't be possible if the front office sticks to the status quo.