With a month left until the 2021 NBA Draft, the Wizards have been hard at work meeting with prospects. A Baylor guard has been among those players.
NBC Sports’ Chase Hughes explained that Jared Butler spoke with Washington at the NBA Draft combine this month. Butler, who left school and declared for the draft after a championship-winning junior campaign, was a steady presence throughout his career with the Bears. In 30 games this past season, the 6-foot-4 guard averaged 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per night.
Butler doesn’t exactly fit the Wizards’ current draft position, as he isn’t projected to go in the top-15. Holding the final pick in the lottery range (pick 15 overall), Washington would likely go with a player other than Butler at that spot. Should the organization trade down or add a second-round selection, though, Butler makes perfect sense.
Boasting an accurate three-point shot, Butler would be a very solid addition to the Wizards’ backcourt. He canned 41.6% of his attempts from deep last season and offers legitimate value as a scorer with the ball in his hands. Most prospects in the late-first/early-second range need to come off screens or move off-ball in order to get good looks, but that isn’t Butler. His shooting of the dribble is a serious skill.
Defense is also a strong suit for Butler. The 20-year-old has a high IQ on that end and moves his feet well on the perimeter. While he doesn’t have a huge frame nor great length for a shooting guard, he makes up for it partially due to a motor that never stops running.
It remains to be seen whether the Wizards are serious about targeting Butler, or how they plan on moving up or down the draft board. With that said, he’d add grit and shooting to a guard rotation that desperately needs it in its ranks. If GM Tommy Sheppard moves off of his No. 15 pick or jumps into the second round — as his recent history suggests he could do — Butler would be a viable option.
