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Wizards sign guard Jared Butler to a two-way contract

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James Foglio Sports Editor

James is a Basketball Insiders contributor. He earned his bachelor's degree in English and Creative Writing from Southern New Hampshire University. James enjoys watching sports and helping gamblers win money.

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Sports Editor

Updated25 Jul 2023

Washington Wizards sign guard Jared Butler to a two-way contract

The Washington Wizards have signed free agent guard Jared Butler to a two-way contract, announced agent Mark Bartelstein of Priority Sports. Butler, 22, was selected 40th overall by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2021 NBA Draft out of Baylor University.

Ahead of training camp, New Orleans dealt Butler to the Memphis Grizzlies, and then Memphis traded the guard to the Utah Jazz. The Louisiana native inked a two-year, $2.49 million contract with the Western Conference team. Butler made one start in 42 games with Utah in his rookie 2021-22 season.

Referring to a few NBA betting sites, the Washington Wizards hold 29th-ranked odds to win next season’s championship in 2024. Some sportsbooks are showing better odds for the Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic.


Butler averaged 3.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 8.6 minutes per game with the Jazz while shooting 40.4% from the field, 31.8% outside the arc, and 68.8% at the foul line. In Utah’s 137-101 win over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Apr. 6, 2022, he recorded seven points, six boards, and a career-high 10 assists.

The Jazz waived the 6-foot-3 guard last October. In November, the Baylor product played for the Grand Rapids Gold, the Denver Nuggets‘ G-League affiliate. Butler averaged 17.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 5.8 assists in 23 starts.

Washington Wizards sign former Oklahoma City Thunder guard Jared Butler to a two-way contract; Butler joins two-way signee Eugene Omoruyi

In March 2023, Jared Butler signed a two-way contract with the Thunder. The 2021 NCAA champ made one start in six games played with OKC in the 2022-23 season. Butler averaged 6.2 points, 1.3 assists, and 12.8 minutes per game while shooting career bests of 46.9% from the floor and 50% from downtown.

In OKC’s 115-100 regular-season finale win against the Grizzlies on Apr. 9, the guard posted a career-high 25 points on 10-of-21 (47.6%) shooting from the floor and drained five 3-pointers.

In June, the Thunder declined to extend his qualifying offer, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent. Earlier this month, OKC renounced his free-agent exception rights.


During the 2023 NBA 2K24 Summer League in Las Vegas, Butler averaged 20 points per game with OKC and shot nearly 50% from beyond the arc in four games. He dropped 31 points in his final game.

Now with the Wizards, Butler joins fellow two-way signee forward Eugene Omoruyi. Washington waived guard Quenton Jackson before adding the G-League standout.

Jay Huff, who is now with Denver, and Jackson occupied Washington’s two-way spots in the second half of the 2022-23 season. Washington’s two-way players are assigned to G-League affiliate Capital City Go-Go.

Under the league’s new collective bargaining agreement, the maximum number of two-way players per team increased from two to three. Two-way salaries do not count against a team’s total cap or tax allocations. Two-way deals can still be converted into standard contracts.

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