Brian

Butch

Butch is trying to make it all the way back from a gruesome knee injury suffered two preseasons ago as a member of the Denver Nuggets. It won’t be with the Hornets, as they waived him from their roster on Friday.

Butch is 6'11" and he’s a tenacious rebounder, but he suffered a gruesome knee injury last preseason while training with the Nuggets. Hopefully he can stay healthy and find a spot on an NBA roster.

Butch was waived by the Hornets in December before the season began and is still trying to return from a nasty knee injury he suffered in 2010.

Butch averaged 15.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in the D-League last year, and is attempting to resume his NBA career after rupturing a patella tendon during Summer League in 2010. Carter, meanwhile, has played in Spain, Greece and Belgium since graduating from college in 2007. Neither player has any fantasy appeal.

Quinn will get a training camp invite after spending last season in Russia. Despite his NBA experience, it would be surprising to see him make the team. Trey Gilder, Darnell Jackson and Brian Butch will also be in camp with Utah.

Utah already has 15 players under contract, with rookie Kevin Murphy expected to (eventually) take Raja Bell’s place on the roster. That unfortunately leaves Butch, who averaged 15.3 points and 9.8 rebounds in the D-League last year, with little chance to make the team.

Kenyon Martin is out with a knee injury and Chris Andersen is hobbled by a sprained ankle, creating a void in Denver’s frontcourt. Even so short-handed, Butch is a very unlikely source of fantasy value.

A cruel twist for Butch and the Nuggets, and we’re assuming that surgery is inevitable. With Butch injured and Johan Petro signing with the Nets, the Nuggets frontcourt is again desperately thin.

It sounds like he’ll stay on the roster this season because he will still be injured when his contract becomes guaranteed for the season in August. Needless to say, he won’t do much, if anything this year for the Nuggets.

Fanhouse.com notes that “it’s expected the Nuggets must continue to pay Butch, who is out until January or February, until he’s medically fit to play.” This decision seems to allow Denver to fill their 13th roster spot with a healthy player.