Wed, Aug 12, 2009 at 12:00am

BUTLER TO THE CLIPS

The Los Angeles Clippers acquired guard Rasual Butler and cash from the New Orleans Hornets for a conditional second-round draft pick in 2016.

What does it give the Los Angeles Clippers
Last season the Clips were hoping to get quality minutes off the bench from swingman Ricky Davis, but it didn't work out that way. With Davis gone, they still have a need for a veteran swingman to back up young starters Eric Gordon and Al Thornton. Butler is an underrated player who proved last season he can be an above-average starter (which is key considering last season's injury problems), so he's a nice depth add here by the Clips.

What does it give the New Orleans Pelicans
The Hornets have a nice core of players in stars Chris Paul, David West, and Emeka Okafor; but they are aren't a free-spending team, and dropping Butler's nearly-$4 Million salary for next season gives them some financial breathing room. The future draft pick clearly isn't exactly a key building block for them, and they have rookie Marcus Thornton and the intriguing Julian Wright to step in for Butler.

Fantasy impact