If it's all about the money, then the Nets' competition for Caron Butler is the Clippers. If it's about joining a winning program, add the Bulls and Spurs to the mix. Chris Broussard tweets that the Nets and Clippers are offering th 6'7" small forward $7 million starting salary while the Bulls and Spurs are offering $5 million.

Butler met with Nets officials Wednesday evening and will meet again Thursday

Adrian Wojnarowski tweets that before his visit to San Antonio, Butler preferred the Bulls to Spurs and Clippers to Nets. He's coming off a ruptured patella tendon, Should Butler decide to join the Nets, it would seem to make the amnesty of Travis Outlaw, who plays the same position, even more likely.

There are also reports that the Spurs will free up money for Butler by waiving Richard Jefferson under the amnesty clause. There's no indication of Nets interest in Jefferson. Ken Berger tweets that the Nets can offer Butler more than $5 million MLE and are weighing how much to spend now to "placate" Deron Williams vs. waiting for next summer.

Meanwhile, the Nets are part of discussions regarding Josh Howard. The Washington Post reports that the team has made their interest in Howard known to his representatives and that because of his past with Avery Johnson, the Nets could be a natural fit for the 6'7" Howard.

• NJ Nets expected to meet with free-agent forward Caron Butler - Stefan Bondy - New York Daily News
• Jefferson out, Butler up next? - Jeff McDonald - San Antonio Express-News
• So many questions after Spurs use amnesty on Richard Jefferson - Zach Lowe - Sports Illustrated
  
• Spurs to use amnesty clause on Jefferson - Adrian Wojnarowski - Yahoo! Sports
• Josh Howard back in D.C., still undecided on free agent destination - Michael Lee - Washington Post