4 Young players the Wizards should develop, 4 to give up on
By Tyler Watts
Don’t Develop: Jared Butler
Butler led Baylor to the NCAA Championship in 20221 where he won the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player award and was a consensus All-American. The 6’3 guard was a projected lottery pick, but a medical issue (subscription required) popped up in the pre-draft process. Butler was cleared before draft night, but it caused him to slip to 40th overall.
The Wizards are his third different NBA team in three years. The 22-year-old has not found consistent minutes in his first two seasons, and his play in the G League leaves plenty of questions. The counting stats look strong, but his advanced metrics paint a different picture. Butler has struggled to score efficiently and his defense was below average.
The 22-year-old still has plenty of potential, but it has been a slow start to his professional career.
Can he bounce back with the Washington Wizards? Jared Butler is on a two-way contract, so he must dominate the G League before getting a shot in the nation’s capital. Tyus Jones and Delon Wright are the Wizards’ only point guards, so an injury could create an opportunity for Butler, but the 6’3 guard would need to take a massive leap forward to be ready to fill it.