Jared Butler joins Phoenix in battle for rotation spot

Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images

Well, well. It’s been quite the day for the Phoenix Suns, hasn’t it?

They started the morning with just 13 players under contract. Two open spots, two months until tip-off. But as the day unfolded, so did their roster. First came the return of Jordan Goodwin

, a familiar face with grit and defensive edge. And now, they’ve added another guard cut from a similar cloth.

Enter Jared Butler.

Free agent guard Jared Butler has agreed to a one-year deal with the Phoenix Suns, Mark Bartelstein and Kieran Piller

of @PrioritySports tell ESPN. The 2021 second-rounder averaged 9 points in 17 minutes per game over 60 contests for the 76ers and Wizards last season. pic.twitter.com/5RvcgFmOsG

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 23, 2025

According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, Butler is joining the Suns on a one-year deal, bringing with him a skill set that mirrors Goodwin’s in many ways: tough, poised, and hungry for an opportunity. The backcourt is getting deeper. The competition is heating up. And Phoenix is quietly building out the kind of roster that values effort, edge, and upside.

A product of Baylor, Butler was selected 40th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft by the New Orleans Pelicans and has since made stops with four different franchises: the Jazz, Thunder, Wizards, and most recently, the 76ers. Last season, with Philadelphia battling a wave of injuries, Butler stepped into an increased role. He played in 28 games—starting 17 of them—and averaged 11.5 points per game on respectable 43/35/87 shooting splits.

He’s a confident shooter and a capable playmaker, someone who can keep an offense organized and fluid. His main area of concern lies on the defensive end, particularly in isolation matchups on the perimeter. But for a team like Phoenix, adding a player who brings offensive skill and rotational upside at this stage of the offseason is a smart, low-risk play.

Right now, the Suns are relying on either Devin Booker or Jalen Green to handle primary point guard duties, with Collin Gillespie expected to serve as the backup. With the additions of Jordan Goodwin and Jared Butler, Phoenix has rounded out its backcourt with players who bring hunger, grit, and a competitive edge, traits this roster sorely needed.

Butler arrives in Phoenix looking to carve out a role, and he may find himself in direct competition with Goodwin for that “backup to the backup” point guard spot. It’s a battle that could play out during training camp, with minutes — and perhaps even a roster spot — on the line. In a league where roles are rarely promised and always earned, this kind of internal competition could be exactly what the Suns need to sharpen their edge heading into the season.

I can see Jared Butler coming in on a non-guaranteed contract and competing with Goodwin for that third spot. https://t.co/VVTKy8HX04

— John Gambadoro (@Gambo987) July 23, 2025

From a financial standpoint, neither the addition of Jordan Goodwin, whose $2.3 million salary is non-guaranteed until January, nor Jared Butler pushes the Suns over the first apron. While they’re certainly flirting with the luxury tax, that threshold isn’t a hard stop; it doesn’t restrict a team from conducting essential basketball operations or making key roster decisions.

The signing of Butler is a smart, measured move by the organization. It reinforces the Suns’ broader vision and brings clarity to what next season is shaping up to be: a season centered around development. Rather than chasing headlines or forcing fit, Phoenix is leaning into growth, internal competition, and the long game.

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