Suns Made Right Decision for Final Roster Spot

On Friday, the Phoenix Suns announced they were waiving Jared Butler, while ESPN's Shams Charania reported they will be keeping Jordan Goodwin for the 14th roster spot.

The move came as a surprise to some after Butler almost singlehandedly carried a very short-handed Suns team to a victory over a relatively healthy Los Angeles Lakers team earlier this week in their preseason finale with 35 points, nine assists, seven rebounds and 0 turnovers.

Both Butler (15.5 points, 4.3 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 1.8 steals in preseason) and Goodwin (12.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.8 steals in preseason) put together solid performances throughout the preseason, but it had been reported way back in the summer that the final roster spot was likely going to come down to one of the two guards to avoid going into the luxury tax.

Why Suns Made The Right Decision

The reality is that Butler had a very long shot to making the team after signing a non-guaranteed deal with the Suns the same day Phoenix claimed Goodwin, whose contract is not fully guaranteed until January, off waivers this summer.

Goodwin, who now slots in as Phoenix's third-string point guard, fits exactly what the Suns want, and he showed how he can affect the game at both ends in the preseason, but his defensive ability is what ultimately makes him the best fit for the Suns.

"I don't think hard work is just something that you learn. I think it's it's either in you or not. That's how we want to run," coach Jordan Ott said of the 2025-26 Suns (via Phoenix Suns All-Access Episode 1). "That's how we want to operate from top down. The team in general are just a hard playing group of individuals. That's how they are built. That's how they're wired. That's what they do on a day-to-day basis."

This quote pretty much describes to a tee what Goodwin brings to the table.

Goodwin, who is entering his second stint with the Suns, has been a plug-and-play player on every team he has been on and his defense and rebounding at the guard position have allowed him to continue to make this impact throughout his first four NBA seasons.

"That's my game I feel like -- just going out there making it hard. Just putting pressure on the ball, putting pressure off the ball. Just try to make the whoever I'm guarding uncomfortable," Goodwin said earlier this week at practice.

"And luckily, it's about 14 other guys that's right behind me that do the same thing. And I think (Ott's) done a good job of having us buy into that. That's kind of the culture we're trying to build here. And everybody's buying in."

As for Butler, he left no doubt that he can make his mark in the NBA as a scorer and playmaker, especially after a strong close to last season with the Philadelphia 76ers, but that's not what the Suns need as they build out this new version of the team.

Butler did show a good buy-in as well to Ott's ball pressure scheme, racking up several steals in the preseason, but his skillset is pretty redundant to what the Suns have with Collin Gillespie, who would be ahead of Butler in the rotation.

Goodwin's defense and rebounding give the Suns a different style of play they can now turn to when needed, which might be right away with Jalen Green (hamstring) being out for the team's season opener.

Overall, Butler showcased enough in the preseason to be worthy of a roster spot somewhere in the NBA, but as for now that is not with the Suns with their financial situation and Goodwin being a much better fit for the team.

Ott offered more clarity on the decision at practice Saturday.

"I think those decisions are always tough and he made it really tough. He was part of this for multiple months and he really helped our group, helped his teammates, helped our intensity in camp, obviously helped us in games as well so, yeah, tough decision," said Ott (h/t Duane Rankin).

"I think he played well and Goodie [Jordan Goodwin] played well. They both played well. Hopefully at the end of it JB knows we tried to do the best we could. Hopefully we helped him. We're with him. It's tough ... He's a really good player and I know we'll see him again soon."

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