NBA Free Agents 2011: Evaluating Caron Butler's Potential Landing Spot

Do you remember Caron Butler?

You know, the 10th overall pick in the 2002 draft out of UConn who has averaged 16.6 points, six rebounds and three assists in his illustrious career?

I ask because he was stuck in Washington’s wasteland during the whole Gilbert Arenas saga and was out for all but 29 games of the Mavericks' magically run.

Now he’s fully healthy and looking to land one last fat contract.

According to ESPN’s Chris Broussard, he has four options to pick from:

Let’s look at the odds for all four of these teams to land Butler:

New Jersey Nets: 20/1

They can offer $7 million a year and a ton of minutes and shots, but who in their right mind would willingly play for New Jersey? The vibe around the team is odd with the imminent Brooklyn move, and playing alongside Kris Humphries in half-empty arenas on a freezing cold January night just doesn’t sound very appealing.

San Antonio Spurs: 12/1

The Spurs plan on using their amnesty clause to get rid of Richard Jefferson and free up $10 million worth of cap space, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports. That would give them the opportunity to offer the mid-level exception to Butler.

Yet when you think about the how old the core players on the team are getting (Tim Duncan 35, Manu Ginobili 34, and Tony Parker 29), there are better options out there for Butler.

Chicago Bulls: 5/1

The Bulls may not be able to offer him the most money, but they can give him his best shot at winning a championship.

The only thing missing from this team is a shooting guard that can play strong defense while shooting at a high percentage. While that doesn’t describe Butler’s game to a tee, he would be a great fit in the Windy City.

Problem is, how many shots will he get? Will he start? How big of a role will he really play?

There are more question marks with the Bulls than our next team.

Los Angeles Clippers: 3/1

Since when did the Clippers become the NBA’s hotspot?

If the Clips don’t trade for Chris Paul, Butler will be playing alongside a budding star in Eric Gordon, a point guard who can get him the ball in Mo Williams, one of the most exciting players in the game in Blake Griffin and potentially another rising star in DeAndre Jordan.

This team is young and hungry and could use a veteran presence like Butler in the locker room.

If the Clippers do pull off a CP3 deal, Butler’s decision would then become a no-brainer.