VET BUTLER TO BUCKS FOR I. SMITH, KRAVTSOV
The Milwaukee Bucks acquired small forward Caron Butler from the Phoenix Suns for point guard Ish Smith and center Viacheslav Kravtsov.
What does it give the Milwaukee Bucks
The Bucks have really overhauled their roster this summer and the resulting lineup doesn't have a lot of proven scoring. Enter Butler, a proven star. While he obviously won't score like he did in his prime, Butler can start some games while projected opening small forward {P Carlos Delfino} heals up from a sore foot. Then once Delfino is healthy, Butler can fill the veteran sixth man role left by {P=644 Mike Dunleavy}. Butler is a Wisconsin native, so should be a popular add.
What does it give the Phoenix Suns
Few teams in the NBA right now are as young and full of question marks as the Suns, so it makes a lot of sense for them to move salary here. They save rougly $5-and-a-half million in cap space with this move, since Butler makes significantly more than Smith and Kravtsov combined. Plus, the Suns have a glut of swingmen so while Butler's steady veteran leadership will obviously be missed, his departure helps them sort out the rotation. Smith is a solid backup point guard, while the raw Kravtsov may eventually prove to be a steal (since he has uncommon athleticism for a big man).
Fantasy impact
Before picking up Butler the Bucks might have considered starting {P Ersan Ilyasova} at small forward in place of the injured Delfino, but now it appears Ilyasova will stay at power forward. This is tough news for {P John Henson} enthsiasts, as the sometimes-dominant second-year big man will now probably have to keep backing up both Ilyasova at the 4-spot and rising star {P Larry Sanders} at center. This move also likely shifts rookie guard {P Nate Wolters} from shooting guard to point guard. For the Suns this deal doesn't change too much, but may open up some minutes for disappointing small forwards {P Michael Beasley} and {P Gerald Green}, probably backing up {P=1686 P.J. Tucker}.
