Caron Butler is someone who has been conspicuously left out of the NBA mix as of late. He is not injured but is merely on a team that simply has a surplus of wing players, which somehow eases him out of the mix.
Butler is of course looking for more playing time to strut his stuff. The Sacramento Kings have a loaded roster of wing players that include Omri Casspi, Marco Belinelli, and Ben McLemore, who Butler would have to share minutes with if not alternate.
With that in mind, it was reported back on December 16 by ESPN’s Marc Stein that the Kings have pledged to trade Butler to a team that can give him more playing time.
As of now, Butler has appeared in just nine games and has only been able to log 10 minutes in those appearances, as bared by the Bleacher Report.
Among the teams where Butler would have been dealt to is the Milwaukee Bucks. In fact, it was believed that a deal would be consummated by Dec. 26, but so far nothing has materialized.
With that said, it seems that the Bucks are not in a hurry to pick up Butler, which means the Kings will have to find another team willing to take him in and put him to good use. However, the question is who?
The Bucks would have been a perfect destination. The team could have used a veteran like Butler who had a stint with the Bucks back in 2013-14.
To date, the Bucks have relied on their young stars like Khris Middleton and Giannis Antetokounmpo though their inexperience still shows. The addition of Butler would have been perfect both as an added veteran gunner and someone who could probably double as mentor.
As things stand now, Butler may have to wait a bit and see if any team could give him the playing time he is looking for. Looking through the team to date, that seems to be like looking for a needle in the haystack.
Right now, it seems to be more of finding a team in need of his services. His salary doesn’t seem to be a big issue seeing that he is earning about $1,499,187 this year and another $1,551,659 next season. By all indications, his practically minimum salary is certainly a non-issue.
Until the Kings find a team willing to take in the 35-year-old small forward, Butler may have to wade a bit on the Sacramento bench.