Caron Butler Knows a Winning Season Helps Summer Options

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Dallas small forward Caron Butler sounded like he would be going to the pet store to pick out a puppy when he started talking Wednesday night about his upcoming free agency.

"I could have the opportunity to take the pick of the litter,'' Butler told FanHouse before his Mavericks lost to the Magic. "If everything goes well this season, it will be my choice, take your pick, wherever I want to go.''

Butler, 30, may be coming off his worst season in years, split between Washington and Dallas, but he is expecting a quick turnaround in his contract year.

Even with limited minutes of the exhibition schedule, he has reached double figure scoring and had at least five rebounds in four of his last five games.

He showed up for training camp about 10 pounds lighter than a year ago after coach Rick Carlisle told him what he wanted this season during his exit interview last spring. He wanted Butler more explosive, quicker, able to reach the free throw line more often. Butler responded by working harder than he ever had before in the offseason.

"You can tell now, he spent a lot of time working on things this summer,'' Carlisle said. "He's in phenomenal shape. We're going to look different this season.''

Carlisle plans to use Butler more at small forward and less at shooting guard than he did after his arrival in February in the multi-player deal that also included Brendan Haywood and DeShawn Stevenson in Dallas.

Butler was thrilled to be traded from the dysfunctional Wizards to the contending Mavericks last season, but his scoring average dipped from 16.9 points to 15.2 points. He shot just 42.8 percent from the field, the lowest since his second year in the league. And the Mavericks, despite winning 55 games, were upset in the first round by San Antonio.

"It's difficult coming in the middle of the season. You're trying to fit in on the fly. Last year, we never got off page one of the playbook offensively,'' he said. "Now, with a whole training camp, and a chance to put your identity on the team, you can go deep into the playbook. It's going to make it better for everyone here.''

Butler, now in his ninth season, has been past the first round of the playoffs just once -- his second year in Miami -- something he expects to change in Dallas.

"I'm going to be a better player here. I know exactly where I fit now. I know my role. I know what's expected,'' he said. "I can put my stamp on the team.''

Butler had his best years in Washington when he teamed with Antawn Jamison and Gilbert Arenas, a formidable scoring trio. He averaged career highs of 20.3 and 20.8 points in the two seasons Arenas missed with injuries. It's not something he expects to duplicate, not with the depth the Mavericks have now.

At this point in his career, he knows being part of a big winner will increase his value more than just raising his scoring average again. He will be making $10.5 million this season, hoping to land the final long-term deal of his career, knowing it will be contingent on the next collective bargaining agreement.

"I'll be at the perfect age (30 for free agency) this summer,'' he said. "We have the opportunity to do something really special in Dallas. And obviously, you always want to have a great year before free agency. Right now this is the ideal situation for me. I'm looking forward to a good season -- and a great summer.''

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David Stern Digs in as Labor Issues Loom

The collective bargaining cloud is still there, and darker than ever.

Even if NBA commissioner David Stern is choosing to ignore it.

His league is days away from what he's hyping as its most exciting season yet, with the love-'em-or-hate-'em Miami Heat spiking ticket sales and new intrigue while old-guard attractions like Lakers-Celtics redux are still spinning the turnstiles. The salary cap that so many estimated would take a serious hit and reflect the owners' tough times instead grew, followed by a free agency period in which the funny money doled out did little to support the league's argument that times were historically hard.

But as Stern seemed to make clear in a teleconference with reporters Friday, none of that will stop him from continuing down a path that can only lead to a lockout.

"I'm allowed to be optimistic and not consider it a cloud because I've probably been in a dozen collective bargaining negotiations ... So we know we're going to get an agreement done..."
-- David Stern, On the NBA's potential labor lockout next season
That proposed hard cap that anchors the NHL blueprint from which they're working? Alive and well. The salary cutbacks in the neighborhood of one-third that we told you about in July? Stern went public with those plans on Thursday. The prevalent notion among league insiders that Stern & Co. were cooling on these concepts that, as one source involved in the process told FanHouse, would guarantee one full season "at minimum" lost? Not holding up at the moment.

Still, in a 40-minute session in which most of the talk was labor-related, Stern said he's not about to let the looming weather ruin his outlook on the 2010-11 campaign.

"I'm allowed to be optimistic and not consider it a cloud because I've probably been in a dozen collective bargaining negotiations -- the last 10 of which involved some of the same actors currently at this table," he explained. "So we know we're going to get an agreement done, and we think that the enthusiasm of the season and the prospective growth that it will ultimately represent will enable us to sit down with the players and negotiate in good faith."

The question is never if, however, but when. And as Stern himself acknowledged, the search for real solutions has never been achieved through public discourse.

There was plenty of that just minutes before Stern's tip-off talk began, when the NBA Player's Association released a statement from executive director Billy Hunter lamenting the NBA's position and making it abundantly clear how far apart the two sides remain.

"The position expressed by the NBA today is regretful, since in February 2010, the players unequivocally rejected the owners' proposal which called for a hard cap, a 40 percent rollback in player salaries, unlimited expense deductions and the elimination of guaranteed contracts," the statement read. "The players and the union would prefer to work towards attaining a fair deal that addresses concerns raised by both sides and improves the game. But, if the owners maintain their position it will inevitably result in a lockout and the cancellation of part or all of the 2011-2012 season. The players and union will prepare accordingly."

Stern not only shrugged at the strong words -- at one point saying of the union and league's posturing that it was "classic negotiating rhetoric -- probably on both sides" -- but questioned the statement's veracity.

"I don't believe that Billy wrote that, because he wouldn't threaten me with a lockout," Stern said. "All I can say is that that's what negotiations are for, and I'm looking forward to our next negotiating session."

The next round of meetings between the two sides is expected to take place some time before mid-November. Stern, perhaps returning to his rhetoric form or maybe in earnest, indicated that the topic of contraction will be discussed at that time. The mere decision to discuss the topic is, as pointed out by Alan Hahn of Newsday, straight out of the playbook of NHL commissioner Gary Bettman.

It serves two purposes: potentially scaring players who don't want the league to employ less players (and thus pushing them toward accepting a hard cap), and helping strengthen the support for said cap from owners of small market teams who don't want to be eliminated.

"I have spent 27 years in this job working very hard not only to maintain all of our teams but to, along the way, add a few," Stern said. "But I think (contraction) is a subject that will be on the table with the players."

He did, however, add that "we're not spending a lot of time on it."

Stern reiterated that the owners' position is rooted in the belief that the system simply isn't viable.

"One of the things we've found out ourselves as we work with our teams -- to keep the high level of sales and customer service at first-class arenas and all of the amenities of continuing installation and even in the prices of keeping player's secure and traveling them around the world by charter -- is that it has become much more expensive to do all the same things that we have always done," Stern said. "And No. 2 -- the world has changed.

"We're in the worst ... recession (within) the lifetime of anyone who is on this phone call, and it sobers people as to what additional investments or funding shortfalls they want to make to support their assets. I'd say the combination of those two (factors) has caused us to say, 'OK, we need a reset that makes this viable.' ... It's not, in the long-term, a sustainable business model that we're happy to be supporting."

That cloud overhead? It's going to be there for a while.

E-mail Sam at amick.sam@gmail.com or follow him on Twitter at @samickAOL.

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David Stern Optimistic About Future for Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James

The ongoing labor negotiations and the looming possibility of a lockout next summer were the biggest stories to come out of David Stern's annual tip-off conference call with members of the media. But the commissioner also had some interesting things to say about a few of the other issues that the league is currently facing.

One of those issues is Carmelo Anthony, and how he's the latest star player to say he wants to be traded out of his current situation. It would seem at first glance that this isn't something that the league would want to see happening regularly, but somewhat surprisingly, Stern didn't seem to have too much of a problem with it.

"You know, the players have no obligation to sign a contract, and I remember these guys, what were their names, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who actually asked to be traded; Patrick Ewing, who asked to be traded," Stern said, when asked if situations like Anthony's could be destabilizing. "Here we have a player who's keeping his options open. That's his right under the collective bargaining agreement, and I don't think it's fair to hold him to a higher standard."

Along the lines of star players choosing where they want to play when their contracts are up, Stern was asked about the situation involving LeBron James, and his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers. Stern's theme remained the same: essentially, that James fulfilled his obligation before taking his talents to South Beach.

"I think for the fans of Cleveland, they had that player and they had him for seven years as a result of the NBA draft and his renewed contract," Stern said. "And now, let's go, everybody on board, and let's see how the team can do without that player. And I'm kind of thinking they'll do better than most people are expecting."

The reason that Stern might not be so worried about players joining forces in a particular market is simple: the amount of interest generated by the Miami Heat after James and Chris Bosh joined forces with Dwyane Wade this summer has been huge in terms of the attention it's brought to the league, especially in the offseason. And it will only continue to build as the season gets gets started.

"I've been told by a number of teams that it would be premature for us to mail the trophy to Miami."
-- David Stern, on not crowning the Heat champions just yet "I think that in USA Today there was a big front-page article about everybody looking forward to either seeing the Miami Heat or seeing them lose, depending upon what city you're in, or seeing them win if you're a fan," Stern said. "And I think that team has generated spectacular interest, and all in all it's been very good for the NBA."

Despite the increased interest level that the new-look Heat team has brought to the league, Stern used a portion of his opening remarks to caution against crowning them as champions just yet.

"I've been told by a number of teams that it would be premature for us to mail the trophy to Miami," Stern said.

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David Stern, NBA Owners Pushing to Cut Players' Salaries by a Third

Don't get too warm and fuzzy about the start of what will be an epic 2010-11 NBA season. League commissioner David Stern reminds us there's a bit of labor strife on the horizon, telling the Associated Press he and the NBA's owners are hoping, in the course of collective bargaining, to cut players' salaries by a third.

That's a lot of change, roughly $700 million based off the 2009-10 season's numbers. Players currently take a 57-percent cut of the league's basketball-related income. Cutting salaries by a third would lower the players' share to about 48 percent. Previous owner chatter had targeted a players' split as low as 45 percent.

Obviously, the players' union will fight this tooth and nail, and maybe hammer and chainsaw. Is it a case of Stern simply reflecting the wishes of his bosses, the owners? Or is he setting the stage for a grand compromise where both sides -- owners and players -- win, the owners by cutting costs significantly and the player might not giving up as much money as the owners would like?

It's worth noting that if Stern is being honest in reporting that the league's 30 teams will lose a combined $350 million, then the proposed salary cut would turn that $350 million deficit for the owners into a $350 million profit. There is no way on Earth, Mars or Jupiter players will accede to such a request.

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Doug Collins Back on Philly's Bench After Missing Time With Concussion

PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- 76ers coach Doug Collins was back at practice Friday after missing two preseason games because of symptoms related to a concussion he sustained on Memorial Day.

Collins sad after practice that he fainted in a coffee shop on Memorial Day in Phoenix and broke three ribs. He also sustained a concussion when his head hit the concrete floor.

Collins was not present for Tuesday's game against the Cleveland Cavaliers in Cincinnati and Wednesday's game against the New York Knicks in Philadelphia. He then had neurological testing and treatment for what was diagnosed as vertigo.

"The doctor feels very good about it because he knows what it is," Collins said after a 2 1/2 -hour practice. "One of the crystals in my ear was knocked loose. It wasn't related to fatigue or stress or anything like that."

Collins said the fall was due to feeling lightheaded caused by low blood pressure. After he went down, a docter at the coffee shop attended to him. He was helped onto a gurney and taken to an area hospital, where he was kept for observation.

Collins said it wasn't the first time he has fainted and it's usually been brought on by low blood pressure. This time, the neurologist also diagnosed him with vertigo.

Collins isn't expected to miss any more time.

"I feel great," he said. "I was able to have a couple of days where I saw the doctors and had some tests. All the tests were great. Basically, what I'm dealing with is vertigo. I took a nasty fall."

The energetic 59-year-old Collins said he watched nearly eight hours of preseason game film on Thursday and fully anticipates moving forward without any issues.

"It feels like you're on the tea cups at Epcot Center with your daughter and she's spinning the (heck) out of you," Collins said of the vertigo.

Practice on Friday was viewed by general manager Ed Stefanski, president Rod Thorn and chairman Ed Snider. They all saw the same passionate coach they hired in May, which is good news for a team that opens the regular season Wednesday night against the Miami Heat.

"I'm ready to go and I feel great," Collins said.

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP news report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or otherwise distributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press. Active hyperlinks have been inserted by AOL.

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Dwyane Wade Rejoins Heat as Mike Miller Leaves for Two Months

TAMPA, Fla. – It was bad news for the more than 18,000 fans who bought tickets to a Heat/Magic exhibition game Friday night, but there was good news for the one star who wasn't even going to play anyway.

The game was canceled – less than an hour before tipoff -- because of unsafe court conditions, but not before Dwyane Wade had rejoined his teammates, completed his own workout on the same court, then pronounced himself mentally and physically ready to be at his best once again.

The Three Kings of Miami can finally get this thing started.

Wade hadn't played with all his new teammates since pulling a hamstring muscle in the fourth minute of the first exhibition game Oct. 5. He hadn't even been with his teammates the last two weeks, away in a Chicago courthouse giving testimony in a bitter and especially messy child custody case involving his two boys.

"I'm feeling good,'' he said when he met with reporters following the game's cancellation. "I'll go on to the next day, get another practice under my belt, and be ready for the opener.''

The Heat open their much-anticipated season in Boston Tuesday against the Celtics, and Wade doesn't expect his extended absence to have any real effect on Miami's chase of a championship.

"It's not ideal (him being away). We would have loved to play together, practiced together more, but we weren't going to have a chance to win a championship in Game 1 of the season, or Games 2 or 3,'' Wade said. "We have 8-9 months to be around, to get it together. That's the main thing.''

"It's not ideal (him being away). We would have loved to play together, practiced together more, but we weren't going to have a chance to win a championship in Game 1 of the season, or Games 2 or 3. We have 8-9 months to be around, to get it together. That's the main thing.''
-- Dwyane Wade, on the effect of his absence as heat chase championship Wade sounded more concerned with the more-serious absence of sharpshooting Mike Miller, who had surgery on his right thumb Friday and will be lost until January, according to Heat Coach Erik Spoelstra. The Heat, according to Spoelstra, will make a decision Saturday whether to sign a replacement.

Wade will practice, likely on his own, Saturday in Miami, then join his teammates Sunday for his first five-on-five workout since the injury.

"You never know from one injury to the next (how long it will take to be 100 percent),'' he said. "I've done it before and come right back with limited practice and played well. Sometimes you come back and the timing is off, or you're not full strength, but I feel good. It's about getting your confidence and conditioning back. That's the main thing.''

Even more than his physical condition, Wade sounded emotionally relieved to have finished his courtroom testimony in Chicago. He flew directly to Tampa, Fla., knowing he wouldn't be playing, but just happy to be back on the team.

"It's a big burden off of me. I did appreciate the opportunity to go in the courtroom, and for the first time have my voice heard, to tell my side. And that was great,'' he said. "It was unfortunate that it came this time of year, but fortunate it came this time of year. The court room is behind me. I was doing it for my two boys. It was important in so many ways. It wasn't ideal basketball-wise, but personally, it was the best thing that could have happened.''

Wade's return allows the Heat finally to move forward in putting together their trio of stars – LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Wade – in front of a new supporting cast.

"Right after the game last night (Thursday in Atlanta), I was starting to get texts from Dwyane saying he's jumping on a plane and wants to play tonight,'' Spoelstra said. "He's in great shape. His weight and body fat is less than what it was coming into training camp.''

When asked what the Heat have been missing in his absence, Spoelstra was quick with his answer.

"MVP talent and a guy who can really anchor what we are trying to do offensively and defensively,'' Spoelstra said.

While the officiating crew huddled with coaches and general managers from both teams, along with arena officials, contemplating whether the game could be played, Wade was on the court, running, shooting, doing drills mostly on his own.

Players from both teams agreed that the floor was unsafe. According to Tod Leiweike, CEO of the St. Pete Times Forum, the problem stemmed from the basketball floor that had come out of storage and hadn't been used for almost a year. It had been scrubbed with a cleaning solution that had too much oil, making the surface far from perfect.

"It (the floor) wasn't good,'' Wade said. "It wasn't going to be a safe surface to play a game on. Some areas were slippery and some had too much grip. I just feel bad for the fans.''

The players were off the floor when the announcement was made that the game would not be played. The arena already was half-filled. A cup of beer came flying out of the upper deck, hitting the court.

"It's an odd feeling, getting ready for a game, expecting to play, and then being told you can't,'' Spoelstra said. "It's really unfortunate for the fans.''

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Former College Roommates Udonis Haslem, Mike Miller Reunited in Miami

MIAMI -- There was more than one NBA player who wanted to join the Miami Heat on July 8. Moments after LeBron James announced his decision that would rock the league and turn the Heat into instant championship contenders, two former college roommates at the University of Florida got on the phone to discuss their futures.

"Me and Mike (Miller) spoke right after that," Heat mainstay Udonis Haslem said. "We were both talking about wanting to be a part of the team but there had to be sacrifices made, and those sacrifices were made."

Those came in how the contracts for Dwyane Wade, LeBron James and Chris Bosh were structured. Instead of signing for the maximum amount allowed under the Collective Bargaining Agreement, the three superstars chose to sacrifice several million dollars in order to help sign the Gator duo to provide a huge boost to the Heat's bench. Michael Beasley, once considered the future of the franchise, also had to be practically given away to the Minnesota Timberwolves to make room under the salary cap.

Days later, Haslem and Miller committed to join the Heat after sign-and-trade deals with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Toronto Raptors to officially land James and Bosh were completed.
Miller's friendship with LeBron was also a huge factor. They became close friends through their mutual association with Nike. Miller even named his son Maverick after LeBron's manager, and they were teammates for Team USA in 2007. The prospect of being teammates with two of his closest friends gave the Heat the edge over other teams vying for Miller's services.

"That really sealed it, to be quite honest with you," Miller said earlier this month at Miami's media day. "It made the decision a lot easier for me."

With so many injuries during the preseason preventing the Heat to fully jell as a unit, the team can at least count on the instant chemistry between Miller and Haslem.

"It was fun," Miller said after playing his first game as a member of the Heat. "We're pretty comfortable playing with each other. I pretty much know what he's going to do a lot of the time and he knows what I'm going to do. When you're in that kind of relationship and you understand it, that makes it a lot much easier."

While Haslem has a championship ring, Miller has yet to be a part of a team that has won a playoff series in the 10 years he's been in the league. Since the 2006 championship run, the Heat themselves have yet to win a playoff series.

Though all eyes are on the Big Three, the reserve roles that two good friends will provide for the Heat will be integral for them to make a deep run in the playoffs with an eye towards winning it all.

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