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Caron Butler, SF

The gist:  During his prime, ”Tuff Juice,” as he was affectionately named by former Wizards coach Eddie Jordan for his aggressive playing style, was one of the premier wing players in the league.  Defensive intensity and a lethal midrange game came to define his identity through stops with the Heat, Lakers, Wizards and then Mavericks for the past two seasons.  He will turn 32 during the upcoming season, and after playing in only 29 games last year, the question with Butler is: what type of player is he, coming off of a major knee injury, and how much money will he command?  More...

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In the first installment of Free Agency Previews, ClipperBlog examines the case for and against signing one of 2011′s (soon-to-be 2012′s) marquee free agents, Tayshaun Prince.

Tayshaun Prince, SF

The gist: Prince possesses an impressive combination of length, athleticism, defensive ability, efficiency and pedigree stretched into his 6’9, 215 lb. frame. He’s a veteran and upmost professional, capable of scoring 12-15 points per night while simultaneously clamping down on the opposing team’s top offensive threat (he held small forwards to a 12.2 PER last season). Although he’s been a mainstay in Detroit, it appears he no longer wants to be a part of the rebuilding project.  More...

For those eager to think about actual basketball during this lockout, Marc Stein and Chad Ford may have provided some measure of relief last week, when they looked into the amnesty clause that will be a part of the next Collective Bargaining Agreement.

The idea is that teams will have a one-time exemption to atone for signing players to, or acquiring players with, bad contracts.  Until recently, the logistics of how this would manifest itself were mostly speculation.  More...

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In the second installment of 3-on-3, three ClipperBlog contributors discuss Eric Gordon’s 2010-2011 season, his All-Star potential and if he can be trusted with the game on the line.

1. True or False: Gordon surprised you last season.

Nick Flynt, ClipperBlog: True. I’ve fallen victim to pointing out Gordon’s PER jump as a testament to his improved game, but really it was likely inflated a bit much by his higher volume shooting. The real development was EJ’s running the pick-and-roll shockingly well, helping him remain pretty effective despite down shooting. Didn’t see that coming.