If He Leaves Wizards, Butler Wants to Leave in Style

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Caron Butler sure sounded like a guy who was saying goodbye to the Washington Wizards Friday night, accepting the realization that a trade was coming soon.

He just made it a little tougher to let him go.

In his best performance of the season, Butler scored 29 points in the second half, including the game-winning basket with 0.5 remaining to beat the division-leading Orlando Magic, 92-91, Friday.

It was like he just nailed an audition. There certainly were a lot of teams watching him.

"Washington is home. I had a great time here. And I'll always love the city, but this is a business and I know anything is possible,'' Butler said after the game when asked about possibly being traded. "I had more success here than I ever had before. I feel like the city adopted me. But you have to take the bitter with the sweet. I'll try and have some magnificent moments before the deadline.''

Butler has been targeted by several teams looking to upgrade their backcourt before the Feb. 18 trade deadline. The Wizards, in the wake of the Gilbert Arenas disaster, are expected to begin a roster-wide housecleaning that could begin with trading their next-best player.

"Yeah, it could happen,'' Butler said. "We'll see.''

"I'm popular. I've always been popular. And I'm popular now. But I'd love to finish what we started in Washington.''
- Caron Butler Butler has been linked to potential deals with the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat. He has one year remaining on his contract, paying him $10.8 million. Both he and Antawn Jamison have been talked about extensively as trade targets in recent weeks.

"I'm popular. I've always been popular. And I'm popular now,'' he said. "But I'd love to finish what we started in Washington.''

Butler's performance -- 31 points and nine rebounds -- was like a breakout game for him. It followed an impromptu meeting he had with Coach Flip Saunders Thursday in their hotel weight room.

They talked mostly about him taking more of a vocal, leadership role, instead of relying on Saunders to make the calls. Butler was averaging just 16.5 points, his lowest point total since joining the Wizards for the 2005-06 season.

A new coach in Saunders, the chemistry issue early with the return of Arenas, then the disruption caused by Arenas and his suspension for the season, had taken an obvious toll on Butler.

"It's not a new situation now, but it is. Everyone's just been trying to feel their way. But this is our team now. Losing a key franchise guy (Arenas) was a tremendous blow, and it took a toll both mentally and physically,'' he said. "And with the (trade) deadline coming, we want to make as much noise as possible.''

The Wizards staged a remarkable turnaround Friday, falling behind by 21 points in the first quarter when they committed 10 turnovers in the first 12 minutes. They had six turnovers in the first three minutes.
Butler made just one of six shots in the first half. He looked like a non-factor early. Then he hit 10 of 16 shots in the second half. And there was no doubt where the Wizards would go with their last possession after Orlando's Rashard Lewis hit a 3-pointer with :04.6 remaining for the 91-90 lead.

Butler took the first pass in the corner, and it didn't matter that the Magic's best perimeter defender, Matt Barnes was all over him. Butler was took quick, getting the separation he needed for the 19-foot, game-winning shot.

It was the second time the Wizards had beaten the Magic in 2010. They won earlier in Washington.

"It just goes to show you that anything is possible, anything can happen. That's one of the top-tier teams in the league and we beat them twice,'' he said. "Coach was running stuff through me, and I was delivering. It felt good.''