Wizards forward Caron Butler was drafted by the Miami with the 10th overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft.
As a rookie in Miami, Butler averaged 15.4 points per game and was named to the 2002-03 NBA All-Rookie First Team, but was later dealt to the Lakers in the trade that brought Shaquille O’Neal to South Beach.
Butler, 28, and Miami’s Dwyane Wade, 26, have been friends and rivals since their AAU days in the Chicago-Milwaukee area.
Washington’s Andray Blatche and Miami’s Dorell Wright attended the same Connecticut prep school, South Kent Prep, but missed playing together by a year.
Blatche played at South Kent in ‘04-‘05 during Wright’s rookie year with Miami.
Jones, a 6’7”, 215-pound forward, has appeared in 80 NBA games (seven starts) averaging 2.9 points and 1.5 rebounds while shooting 43.9 percent from the field in 8.6 minutes of action. During the current 2007-08 season, Jones appeared in four games with the Houston Rockets, nine games (two starts) with the Memphis Grizzlies and 23 games with the Denver Nuggets. Prior to that, during the 2006-07 season, Jones appeared in 44 games (five starts) with the Philadelphia 76ers.
With just 11 wins to go with their 50 losses, the Heat have the league’s worst record. Despite the pairing of Wade with the multi-talented Shawn Marion, acquired when the team traded Shaquille O’Neal, the Heat haven’t looked any better and have recently been getting blown out at home. There was simply no reason for Wade to keep playing hurt. He might as well take time, heal, get back to 100 percent health, and focus on a better next season.
In addition, the Flagrant Foul, Penalty One that was called against Johnson on the play has been upgraded to a Flagrant Foul, Penalty Two.