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It’s been a busy offseason for the Phoenix Suns so far as they kicked off the summer with the blockbuster trade of Kevin Durant to Houston Rockets. They followed that up with a buyout of Bradley Beal’s contract. A contract extension for Devin Booker solidified the All-Star guard as the franchise centerpiece of the organization. The Suns have made other roster moves in free agency including the Wednesday signing of Jared Butler, as per Shams Charania of ESPN.
The free agency signing of Jared Butler brings the Suns current roster to 15. The addition of Butler wasn’t the only move the Suns made on Wednesday; they also claimed Jordan Goodwin off of waivers following his release from the Los Angeles Lakers. Both the Goodwin and Butler additions gives the Suns a full roster.
Butler began his NBA career in 2021-22 after being selected by the Utah Jazz with the No. 40 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. He had a solid rookie season but was cut by the Jazz before the start of the 2022-23 season. He’s spent the past couple of seasons on two-way contract stints with the Oklahoma City Thunder, Washington Wizards and Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers converted his two-way contract to a standard deal last year, but he hit unrestricted free agency this offseason.
Across the last four years, Butler has appeared in a total of 148 NBA games. The last half of the season with 76ers was his best yet in the NBA. He appeared in 28 games, including 17 starts, at a little over 24 minutes per game. He averaged a career-high 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds, 4.9 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 42.6 percent shooting from the field, 35.2 percent shooting from the three-point line and 87 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
Prior to the NBA, Butler played three seasons of college basketball at Baylor. He was a key factor in the Bears’ 2021 national championship run, forming a strong backcourt alongside fellow future NBA player Davion Mitchell.
