A national champion at Baylor, could Butler present a tantalizing trade-up option for the Knicks to solve their age-old conundrum at the point guard spot?

Position: Combo/point guard, Baylor

Age: 20 (8/25/2000)

Height: 6 ft 3 in

Wingspan: 6 ft 4 in

Weight: 195 lbs.

Strickland 2021 Big Board Rank: 14

The Sales Pitch: If I had a guard who can play both on and off ball with no real red flags or flaws, would that be something you would be interested in? If so, Jared Butler is your guy. The junior guard out of Baylor got better each year in college and is just an all-around solid player. You want shooting? He has it. How about a sweet handle? He has it. Maybe dabble in a little pick-and-roll playmaking? Yup. Defense? Yeah, he can do that too. When I project Jared Butler at the next level, it’s tough for me to find ways where he just flat out fails. He may not have the “star” upside that teams look for in the lottery, but I think he has a very good chance of being a positive NBA player for 10-plus years.

Elite Traits/Skills: Shooting, handle, PnR playmaking

The Devil’s Advocate Argument: Butler is not that explosive and probably only projects as a one position defender at the next level, which kind of limits his ceiling. He also struggled to finish at the rim in the Big 12, so if he can’t improve in that aspect, he will solely rely on his shooting to provide positive value. Do you really want to spend a first round pick on a guy who just comes off the bench to hit some threes and only guard one position?

The Misconceptions: “He’s a junior, he’s old.” WRONG! He’s actually only 20 years old, which makes him very young for a junior (only one month older than James Bouknight, for example). 

Important numbers:

• 47/42/78%: His FG/3P/FT percentages this past season at Baylor. He improved both his 3P% and 2P% each season at Baylor too, so I don’t worry about the 42% (on 6.2 3PA) being an outlier from three this past season. He can shoot.

• 1.347: Oh, you want more numbers to prove he can shoot? This is his PPP (points per possession) in spot-up situations in the half court, per Synergy. This number equates to him shooting 54.5% on 121 attempts and ranks in the 98th percentile. He walks into the league and offers immediate value as a spot-up shooter.

• 1.007: But he’s a point guard, right? Can he play in the PnR??? Why yes, yes he can. This number is his PPP in pick-and-rolls (including passes) last season, per Synergy. Ranking in the 85th Percentile, this number speaks to his ability to create scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates in the PnR.

• 52.9%: Now if there is one criticism or concern with Butler, it’s his finishing around the rim. He only shot 52.9% around the basket (not post-ups) in the half court last year, per Synergy. This ranks in 40th percentile, which only earned him a rating of “average.” This will be a key area of improvement for Butler. If he can become a better finisher, he should wind up being one of the more well-rounded offensive guards in this draft class.

Knicks Fit: Jared Butler would be the best starting point guard option for the Knicks next season besides maybe Derrick Rose, so I’d say he’s an ideal fit. While he may not have the finishing chops yet, he can still get into the paint thanks to his dribble moves and his ability to attack close-outs because of his shooting gravity. It’d also be nice to have an elite spot-up shooter at point guard to play off of Randle.