The Milwaukee Bucks sign 7-footer as developmental project

Dec 14, 2022; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Portland Trailblazers forward John Butler, Jr. (21) warms up before the game against the San Antonio Spurs at AT&T Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-USA TODAY Sports USA TODAY Sports

The Milwaukee Bucks sign 7-footer as developmental project

Originally posted on Milwaukee Bucks on SI | By Tre Allen | Last updated Sep 4, 2026 2:39 PM ET

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The Milwaukee Bucks have decided to sign center John Butler Jr. Butler Jr. recently played for Milwaukee on the summer league roster, and appeared in eight games for the Bucks.

In those eight games, he averaged 3.9 points, 1.2 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per game. His best performance during the showcase came on the last game against the Philedelphia 76ers where he finished the game with 10 points, two rebounds, two blocks and one steal while shooting 100% (3-for-3) from the field.

It's been one heck of a journey for Butler Jr. since he entered the NBA. Before he suited up for the Bucks summer league team, he spent one year at Florida Sate for the 2021-22 season averaging 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game while shooting 39.3% from the 3-point line on almost three attempts per game.

After playing a year with the Seminoles, Butler Jr. decleard for the NBA Draft, but went undrafted and played for the New Oreleans Pelicans during the summer league. Appearing in four games for the Pelicans, he was able to sign with a two-way contract with the Portland Trailblazers.

We have signed John Butler Jr. pic.twitter.com/RpteCmA06N
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) September 4, 2026

He only appeared in 19 games for the Traiblazers where he averaged 2.4 points per game. At that time, portland did not have their own G League affilate team, so Butler Jr. played for the Sacramento Kings' affailtae in the Stockton Kings via a flex transfer that allows an NBA team to assign a player to a G League team that does not have a direct affilate team.

In the six games Butler Jr. appeared for Stockton, he averaged 8.3 points, 4.0 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game on 45% shooting from the field and 34.6% from the 3-point line.

The following season he signed another two-way contract, but this time with the Washington Wizards for the 2023-24 season. He never actually suited up for the Wizards, but spent his time playing for their G League team, the Capital City Go-Go. Across 33 regualr season games, he averaged 6.7 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game.

He continued to play for the Go-Go the following year, but was traded to the Wisconsin Herd in exchange for a first-round and second-round pick in the 2026 NBA G League Draft and the returning player rights to Darryl Morsell.

After the trade in March of 2025, he played in a handful of games for the Herd, but appeared in 49 NBA G League games including 40 starts last season where he averaged 9.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.7 blocks per game.

The 7-footer will return to the Bucks organization and is expected to play for the Herd as he did last season.

This article first appeared on Milwaukee Bucks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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