Jared Butler

Jared Butler
Butler in 2024
No. 4 – Washington Wizards
PositionPoint guard
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2000-08-25) August 25, 2000 (age 24)
Reserve, Louisiana, U.S.
Listed height6 ft 3 in (1.91 m)
Listed weight193 lb (88 kg)
Career information
High schoolRiverside Academy
(Reserve, Louisiana)
CollegeBaylor (2018–2021)
NBA draft2021: 2nd round, 40th overall pick
Selected by the New Orleans Pelicans
Playing career2021–present
Career history
2021–2022Utah Jazz
2021–2022→Salt Lake City Stars
2022–2023Grand Rapids Gold
2023Oklahoma City Thunder
2023→Oklahoma City Blue
2023–presentWashington Wizards
2023–present→Capital City Go-Go
Career highlights and awards
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Jared Gladwyn Butler (born August 25, 2000) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Wizards of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Capital City Go-Go of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Baylor Bears. As a junior in 2021, he was named a consensus first-team All-American and helped lead the Bears to a national championship. Butler was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player (MOP).

Early life

Butler in 2019

Butler is the son of Richard and Juanea Butler. By the time he was eleven years old, he was competing in out-of-state basketball tournaments.[1] Butler grew up in Reserve, Louisiana and attended Riverside Academy, where he joined the school's varsity basketball team as an eighth-grader.[2] As a junior, he averaged 20.4 points and 6.7 assists and was named first-team All-State.[3] Butler averaged 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 3.0 steals during his senior season and was again named first-team All-State as well as Player of the Year by The Times-Picayune.[4] Rated a four-star prospect, Butler committed to play college basketball at Alabama over offers from Virginia and Baylor.[5] He picked the Crimson Tide because he was confused why Baylor was not recruiting him harder despite his coach Tim Byrd being friends with Bears coach Scott Drew; the Bears were short on scholarships and long on guards.[1]

College career

Butler enrolled at Alabama, but did not participate in the team's summer workouts and requested an unconditional release from his letter of intent in order to transfer to Baylor University.[6] Alabama released him from his commitment in August.[7] A scholarship had opened up at Baylor due to the early retirement of Jake Lindsey.[1]

Butler was eligible to play immediately after transferring due to his release. He averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a true freshman and was named honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference and to the league's All-Freshman team.[8] Butler was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on February 25, 2019, after averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in conference games against Iowa State and West Virginia.[9]

Butler was named the 98th-best collegiate basketball player going into the 2019–20 season by CBS Sports.[10] On November 5, 2019, Butler scored 30 points and made a career-high eight three-pointers in a 105–61 win over Central Arkansas.[11] He was named the MVP of the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational and the Big 12 Player of the Week after averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals over three games as the Bears won the tournament.[12] On January 11, 2020, Butler scored 22 points as Baylor defeated Kansas for its first win ever at the Phog Allen Fieldhouse.[13] As a result, he earned his second Big 12 Player of the Week honors on January 13.[14] On February 3, he was added to the revised 20-man Wooden Award watchlist and was named one of ten finalists for the Bob Cousy Award.[15][16] At the conclusion of the regular season, Butler was named first-team All-Big 12 and a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, USBWA, NABC and Sporting News after averaging 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game.[17][18][19] Following the season, Butler declared for the 2020 NBA draft.[20] On August 3, he announced he was withdrawing from the draft and returning to Baylor.[21]

Coming into his junior season, Butler was named Preseason Big 12 Player of the Year.[22] On January 18, 2021, he recorded a season-high 30 points and eight assists in a 77–69 win against Kansas.[23] Butler was a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection and earned consensus first-team All-American honors.[24] He led Baylor to its first national championship, and was named NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player after posting 22 points and seven assists in an 86–70 win over previously undefeated Gonzaga in the title game.[25] As a junior, Butler averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game. On May 30, he declared for the 2021 NBA draft, forgoing his remaining college eligibility.[26]

Professional career

Utah Jazz / Salt Lake City Stars (2021–2022)

On June 22, 2021, Butler was referred to a fitness-to-play panel by the NBA and was not permitted to play or practice in the league.[27] On July 17, he was medically cleared to play in the NBA.[28] On July 29, Butler was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 40th overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, but was traded to the Utah Jazz via the Memphis Grizzlies.[29][30] On August 12, he signed his rookie scale contract with the Jazz.[31] On March 18, 2022, Butler recorded a career-high 21 points, alongside seven assists, in a 121–92 win over the Los Angeles Clippers.[32]

On October 15, 2022, Butler was waived by the Jazz.[33]

Grand Rapids Gold (2022–2023)

On November 4, 2022, Butler was named to the opening night roster for the Grand Rapids Gold.[34]

Oklahoma City Thunder / Blue (2023)

On March 3, 2023, Butler signed a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder.[35]

Washington Wizards / Capital City Go-Go (2023–present)

On July 28, 2023, Butler signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards[36] and on March 5, 2024, he signed a multi-year deal with the Wizards.[37] However, he was waived in October 19[38] and two days later, he signed another two-way contract with Washington.[39]

Career statistics

Legend
  GP Games played   GS  Games started  MPG  Minutes per game
 FG%  Field goal percentage  3P%  3-point field goal percentage  FT%  Free throw percentage
 RPG  Rebounds per game  APG  Assists per game  SPG  Steals per game
 BPG  Blocks per game  PPG  Points per game  Bold  Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2021–22 Utah 42 1 8.6 .404 .318 .688 1.1 1.5 .4 .2 3.8
2022–23 Oklahoma City 6 1 12.8 .469 .500 — .7 1.3 .8 .0 6.2
2023–24 Washington 40 0 14.1 .488 .308 .861 1.5 3.2 .7 .2 6.3
Career 88 2 11.4 .453 .328 .808 1.2 2.2 .6 .2 5.1

Playoffs

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2022 Utah 1 0 5.0 .000 — — 1.0 .0 .0 .0 .0
Career 1 0 5.0 .000 — — 1.0 .0 .0 .0 .0

College

Year Team GP GS MPG FG% 3P% FT% RPG APG SPG BPG PPG
2018–19 Baylor 34 21 26.8 .395 .351 .794 3.1 2.7 1.0 .1 10.2
2019–20 Baylor 30 30 30.4 .421 .381 .775 3.2 3.1 1.6 .1 16.0
2020–21 Baylor 30 30 30.3 .471 .416 .780 3.3 4.8 2.0 .4 16.7
Career 94 81 29.1 .431 .384 .782 3.2 3.5 1.5 .2 14.1

References

  1. ^ a b c Norlander, Matt (January 15, 2020). "Court Report: A photo foretold the future, as Scott Drew and Jared Butler met long before reuniting at Baylor". CBS Sports. Retrieved January 16, 2020.
  2. ^ Werner, John (March 19, 2019). "Butler following in Tweety's footsteps". Waco Tribune-Herald. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  3. ^ Walker, Rod (August 12, 2017). "Prep notebook: Riverside hoops standout Jared Butler trims college list to 6 suitors". NOLA.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  4. ^ Lopez, Selby (August 19, 2018). "Former Alabama Recruit Jared Butler Commits to Baylor". The Dallas Morning News. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  5. ^ Daniels, Tim (October 16, 2017). "4-Star PG Prospect Jared Butler Commits to Alabama over UVA, Baylor". Bleacher Report. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  6. ^ Zenitz, Mark (August 19, 2019). "4-star Alabama basketball signee leaving program". AL.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  7. ^ South, Hank (August 19, 2019). "Alabama hoops signee Jared Butler granted release from LOI". 247Sports.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  8. ^ "Baylor's Butler to try out for USA Under-19 team". Waco Tribune-Herald. June 12, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  9. ^ "Butler named Big 12 newcomer of week". Waco Tribune-Herald. February 25, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  10. ^ Boone, Kyle; Norlander, Matt; Parrish, Gary (October 24, 2019). "Ranking the Top 100 And 1 best players in college basketball entering the 2019-20 season". CBSSports.com. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  11. ^ "Butler's 30 points lead No. 16 Baylor to 105–61 win over UCA". ESPN. Associated Press. November 5, 2019. Retrieved February 20, 2020.
  12. ^ "Baylor's Butler named Big 12 Men's Basketball Player of the Week". KWTX.com. November 25, 2019. Retrieved December 26, 2019.
  13. ^ "Jared Butler, No. 4 Baylor outlast No. 3 Kansas in rare Bears victory on Jayhawks' hallowed hardwood". ESPN. January 11, 2020. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  14. ^ "Baylor and West Virginia Claim Men's Basketball Awards". Big12Sports.com. Big 12 Conference. January 13, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  15. ^ "Baylor's Jared Butler added as Wooden Watch list trimmed to 20". ABC11. February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  16. ^ "Baylor Guard Jared Butler on Top 10 Watch List for Bob Cousy Award". SicEm365.com. February 3, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2020.
  17. ^ "Men's Basketball All-Big 12 Awards Announced". Big 12 Conference (Press release). March 8, 2020. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  18. ^ Dauster, Rob (March 10, 2020). "NBC Sports College Basketball All-American Teams". NBC Sports. Retrieved March 16, 2020.
  19. ^ "Baylor's Butler Named Consensus All American". Fox44News.com. March 24, 2020. Retrieved March 26, 2020.
  20. ^ "Baylor All-Big 12 guard Jared Butler to test draft waters". ESPN. Associated Press. April 20, 2020. Retrieved April 21, 2020.
  21. ^ Givony, Jonathan (August 3, 2020). "Baylor sophomore Jared Butler withdraws from draft". ESPN. Retrieved August 3, 2020.
  22. ^ "Baylor G Jared Butler named Big 12′s preseason player of the year". Dallas Morning News. October 28, 2020. Retrieved November 1, 2020.
  23. ^ Boone, Kyle (January 19, 2021). "Kansas vs. Baylor score, takeaways: Jared Butler's 30 points leads undefeated Bears to win in top-10 battle". CBSSports.com. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  24. ^ "Baylor Bears guard Jared Butler named AP Big 12 player of year". ESPN. Associated Press. March 9, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  25. ^ Salvador, Joseph (April 6, 2021). "Baylor Guard Jared Butler Named Men's Final Four Most Outstanding Player". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  26. ^ "Baylor guard, 2021 NCAA Tournament MOP Jared Butler declares for NBA draft". The Athletic. May 30, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  27. ^ Charania, Shams (June 22, 2021). "NBA draft prospect Jared Butler referred to Fitness-To-Play Panel: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  28. ^ Charania, Shams (July 17, 2021). "Baylor's Jared Butler medically cleared to play in NBA: Sources". The Athletic. Retrieved July 22, 2021.
  29. ^ "Grizzlies acquire Steven Adams, Eric Bledsoe, draft rights to Ziaire Williams and two draft picks in three-team trade with Pelicans and HorNets". NBA.com. August 7, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  30. ^ "Grizzlies acquire draft rights to Santi Aldama from Jazz". NBA.com. August 7, 2021. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
  31. ^ Treasure, Angie (August 12, 2021). "Utah Jazz sign Jared Butler". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  32. ^ Coon, John (March 19, 2022). "GOBERT, BUTLER LEAD JAZZ TO 121-92 VICTORY OVER CLIPPERS". NBA.com. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  33. ^ Rincon, Jeremy (October 15, 2022). "Utah Jazz Waive Butler, Johnson, and Zeller". NBA.com. Retrieved October 16, 2022.
  34. ^ "Grand Rapids Gold Announce 2022-23 Opening Night Roster". OurSportsCentral.com. November 4, 2022. Retrieved November 4, 2022.
  35. ^ "Thunder Signs Jared Butler to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. March 3, 2023. Retrieved March 3, 2023.
  36. ^ "Wizards sign Jared Butler to two-way contract". NBA.com. July 28, 2023. Retrieved July 29, 2023.
  37. ^ "Wizards sign Butler to multi-year contract". NBA.com. March 5, 2024. Retrieved March 5, 2024.
  38. ^ "Wizards Request Waivers On Butler". NBA.com. October 19, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.
  39. ^ "Wizards Announce 2024-25 Opening Night Roster". NBA.com. October 21, 2024. Retrieved October 21, 2024.