The Philadelphia 76ers did not have to do a lot of tough cuts to get to where the roster currently stands a few days before the regular season officially begins, but the same cannot be said for the others ball clubs in the league, who had to go through several, difficult choices to finalize their respective lineups within the allowable limits.
That was most certainly the case with the Phoenix Suns which, away from the public eye, had to make a very tough cut just recently. Amid their revolving door of point guards, their front office made the decision to stick with Jordan Goodwin for their final roster spot, cutting ties with Jared Butler as a consequence.
Of course, this is an unfortunate development for Butler, who appeared to be well on his way to bagging a regular roster spot in Phoenix after shooting the ball and playing well for the Suns, his first team in the league after the 76ers let him go by virtue of his non-guaranteed deal early in the summer.
Now, Butler is left with no choice but to keep looking for his next home in the league, although that could prove to be a difficult trek given that nearly all teams have a set roster.
Former 76ers guard Jared Butler gets the unexpected hammer ahead of the regular season
Butler, who spent the latter half of the previous campaign with the 76ers last season, had the stylings of someone who can finally give the team a steady hand off the bench as a plug-and-play piece in the backcourt, but apparently, the front office was not convinced of his acument to be exactly that kind of player in Philly.
Instead, Daryl Morey and his cohorts opted to go with the veteran leadership apparently provided by both Kyle Lowry and Eric Gordon — two players who had much worse preseason stints than Butler himself. That makes it all the more unfortunate that the young guard was let go by the 76ers despite the team’s continuous need for another backup floor general.
Touting good finishing skills for a guard and a much improved jump shot, Butler should be plenty attractive for teams which, like the 76ers, need some more reinforcements at point guard.
Hopefully, his representation will be able to find a new taker for his services, lest he will be prompted to seek opportunities elsewhere and possibly even sit the season out, which he does not deserve given his skill.