Butler Nearly at Full Strength, Arenas Also 'Working Hard'

Wizards forward Caron Butler, who went down with a season-ending injury when he broke a bone in his right hand in a game against Milwaukee on April 1, is nearly back to full strength and recently was cleared to participate in full basketball workouts.

Butler and fellow all-star Gilbert Arenas have been working out at Verizon Center since the Wizards were swept out of the first round of the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers on April 30. Arenas's season ended when he injured his knee on April 4 and underwent surgery to repair a torn left meniscus the following day. He is expected to recover well before training camp opens in October.

"We're both in here working hard, getting our bodies right for next season," said Butler, who earned his first all-star invitation during a season in which he averaged a career-high 19.1 points, 7.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists in 63 games. "From a physical standpoint, I feel great."

Butler will split his time this summer between Washington and his home town of Racine, Wis., where he holds an annual basketball camp. Butler will also host a camp, Caron Butler's 3-D basketball camp, at Bishop McNamara High School in Forestville June 18-22. . . .

The Wizards hold the 16th and 47th picks in the June 28 NBA draft and will get their first look at several prospects at the NBA pre-draft camp, which runs May 29-31 in Orlando. Teams can hold private workouts for draft-eligible players following the pre-draft camp and the Wizards are scheduled to begin working out prospects on June 7.

In the past, teams could hold private workouts prior to the pre-draft camp but the NBA recently changed the rule because most top candidates were turning down invitations to the camp so they could exclusively attend private workouts for teams. . . .

Forward Oleksiy Pecherov, who was selected in the first round by the Wizards last June, has helped BC Kiev of the Ukrainian Superleague reach the league championship round, which begins today. Pecherov is expected to sign with the Wizards after July 1 and play in the Las Vegas Summer League, which begins July 6.

-- Ivan Carter