Jared Butler is the steal of the 2021 NBA Draft

The 2021 NBA Draft saw a lot of chaos after the first handful of picks came off the board. A few players were taken shockingly high, while several others dropped precipitously. Today we’re looking at a player who fell all the way to 40th after being mock-drafted by some as high as the late lottery. That player is Baylor University's Jared Butler.

So what’s the profile on Butler? How does he fit on the Utah Jazz? And why did he fall so far on draft night? Let’s dive in.

---

THE CAVEAT

We’ll address the latter point first. While we can only guess as to the motivations that caused teams to pass on Butler, there is one obvious caveat to note. Butler was flagged by the NBA’s Fitness-to-Play panel in June, meaning he wasn’t allowed to play or practice until the NBA’s three-member panel deemed that him doing so would not jeopardize his health. 

That panel was instituted after former Miami Heat champion Chris Bosh developed blood clots and nearly died. The NBA ruled that it was too dangerous to allow him to continue his career.

What exactly Butler’s condition is or was has not been disclosed. However, earlier in July, the NBA ruled that Butler was fit to play, and was eligible to resume on-court activities and be drafted by an NBA team. This is important because the NBA has leaned conservative in previous rulings in order to protect players. 

For example, Isaiah Austin was a prospect for the 2014 draft (also from Baylor University, coincidentally), but he was diagnosed with Marfan Syndrome shortly before the draft. The panel deemed it wasn’t safe for him to play, and barred teams from drafting him. Despite being barred by the NBA, numerous other leagues cleared him, and he’s been playing professional basketball outside the NBA since 2014.

The Fitness-to-Play panel clearing Butler should strongly indicate that there is no medical risk in taking him, and he should be capable of a long, productive career.

---

BUTLER’S PLAYER PROFILE

Immediately before draft night, Butler was highly ranked on many national boards including SB Nation (13), CBS (19), Bleacher Report (22), and The Ringer (25).

What makes Jared Butler so appealing as a prospect? It’s because he has three NBA-ready skills, namely shooting, dribbling, and passing. It might seem trite to list those for a guard prospect, but Butler doesn’t just do those things, he’s exceptional at each of them. He immediately comes into the NBA as a movement-level shooter, capable of knocking down 3’s off screens, or punishing opponents going under in the pick and roll.

His shooting splits at Baylor were aces across the board at 52.4% from two, 41.6% from three, and 78% from the line for just shy of 17 points per game.

But he isn’t just a shooter either. He’s a gifted passer and playmaker, and he has an exceptional handle that allows him to get to his shooting spots in the halfcourt.

Butler is a totally capable defender as well, with decent size as a combo guard. His floor game speaks for itself, as he added 4.8 assists, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.0 steals per game last season. In short, he's a really good player, capable of some on-ball duties as a guard, but extremely valuable as an off-ball threat.

---

THE FIT IN UTAH

Butler fits like a glove in Utah’s system. For one thing, he’s a little older and his body is pretty developed, so he should be sliding into the back end of the rotation right away. And his skill set as a backup point guard capable of spot facilitation will lighten Donovan Mitchell’s burden when Mike Conley is sitting or out of the lineup.

The hole in Butler’s game that prevents him from having star-level upside is that he isn’t great at breaking the paint and attacking the basket, a prerequisite for star point guard prospects. But that limitation won’t matter as much on a team that is predicated on throwing lobs for Rudy Gobert and the interior slashing of Donovan Mitchell.

And of course, as previously mentioned, Butler is an absolute sniper from the perimeter. In Utah’s system, any role player needs to bring "plus" shooting, and Butler more than qualifies. I expect he’ll contribute in spot minutes to start, but will take on a greater role as the Jazz continue their push to contend around Gobert and Mitchell.

Utah getting Jared Butler at 40th was an absolute steal, and he'll more than likely make some teams that passed over him regret the decision in short order.