Washington has decided to cut Butler to get their opening day roster in.
UPDATE at 6:15 p.m. ET: The Washington Wizards have requested waivers on Jared Butler, according to a team release. What this means is that other teams can claim his contract in the coming days. But it looks like the Wizards have decided to let him go after not finding suitors for him. The original article, with some modifications, is below.
It isn’t uncommon to see NBA teams in the trade rumor mill because they are looking to get a certain player. But it’s not so common for rebuilding teams to be in the rumor mill to keep a player who figures to be a reserve, not a starter.
That’s exactly the situation the Washington Wizards are in. According to Keith Smith of Spotrac, the Wizards were looking to trade a player on a guaranteed contract so they can keep guard Jared Butler to keep their point guard depth reasons.
The Washington Wizards have been active in trade discussions to move a guaranteed salary, league sources told @spotrac.
Washington would like to keep Jared Butler for depth at point guard, which necessitates trading or waiving a player with a fully guaranteed contract.
— Keith Smith (@KeithSmithNBA) October 19, 2024
I’m not sure if this is the type of trade rumor I’d like to see the Wizards in at this time of the season. Nearly everyone, their mother, father, pets and pests in their homes all know that the Wizards are rebuilding this season. And a trade rumor to keep a player who doesn’t figure to be a starter is not an ideal story in my mind.
While I get that Kyle Kuzma or Jonas Valanciunas may be traded sooner rather than later, I also didn’t see General Manager Will Dawkins trading them for a low first round or second round draft pick simply so Butler stays on the roster for depth reasons. So waiving him likely makes the most sense given everything.
Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.