Without a doubt, one of the most puzzling decisions in free agency came from the Philadelphia 76ers when the front office endeavored to re-sign Kyle Lowry to another one-year deal, much to the chagrin of fans and pundits alike. There were signs that the team would resort to that option, but there remains little sense as to why they would prefer him over other candidates to shore up the backcourt.
Players who pack a lot more in the tank like De’Anthony Melton remained available, yet Daryl Morey and his crew decided that Lowry would be the best player to man the emergency playmaker role off the bench — a bold proposition after the six-time All-Star should have actually retired after the unwatchable campaign he turned in last season.
But to make things more depressing, this poor decision on Philadelphia’s part comes with a rather unfortunate development. Jared Butler, who had his team option declined to make room for Lowry (and Eric Gordon), may not even sniff the NBA hardwood anytime soon.
Jared Butler remains without a team as poor 76ers decision punches him in the gut
Butler, who would have entered his fifth season in the league, remains unrostered at this juncture. He is not even with a Summer League team, and with most teams already set on their roster for next season, he will undoubtedly find it more difficult to find his next ball club.
The soon-to-be 25-year-old enjoyed his most productive stretch of basketball during his brief stint with the 76ers last season after he came over from Washington before the trade deadline. In 24.4 minutes per outing, he registered respectable averages of 11.5 points and 4.9 assists per outing, shooting almost 43 percent from the field and 35.2 percent from downtown.
Butler would have been a pretty safe commodity to plug in as the team’s resident third-string point guard, but the front office clearly valued locker room and veteran presence more than what he could have provided in spurts.
But from a purely basketball perspective, choosing Lowry over Butler is far from logical. The latter, while still having bouts with inconsistency, still touts a more robust offering than the former at this point in their careers.
The Philadelphia 76ers made their decision, and unfortunately, for Jared Butler, it could even spell the end of his career as an NBA journeyman given his status quo with the 2025-26 season rapidly approaching.
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