Washington Wizards Sign Former Florida State Forward To Two-Way Contract

The 2023-24 NBA regular season tips off on Tuesday night in what is expected to be a highly-anticipated year around the league. Leading up to the week, teams have been finalizing their rosters following training camp.

On Monday, the Washington Wizards announced that they were signing former Florida State forward John Butler to a two-way contract. Butler has been bouncing around the NBA since going undrafted in 2022 as the Wizards will mark his third franchise since joining the league. The team picked up Butler after he was released by the Portland Trail Blazers at the conclusion of training camp. 

The 7-foot, 190-pound forward latched on with the New Orleans Pelicans after not being selected in the 2022 NBA Draft. He was eventually cut during training camp prior to getting another opportunity with the Trail Blazers. Butler spent his rookie season bouncing between the main club and the G League while on a two-way contract.

The South Carolina native appeared in 19 games, with one start, and averaged 2.4 points (32.1% FG, 75% FT), 0.9 rebounds, and 0.5 blocks in 11.6 minutes per game. Butler was active for Portland's final nine games of the 2022-23 regular season and scored a career-high 12 points, two rebounds, four assists, two steals, and two blocks against the Sacramento Kings.

Butler also played in six games for the Stockton Kings which are the G League affiliate of the Sacramento Kings. He averaged 8.3 points (45.0% FG, 34.6% 3-PT), 1.2 assists, and 3.2 blocks in 23.6 minutes per game.

Despite showing promise, it's clear that Butler has a long way to go to reach his eventual ceiling. That led Portland to move on but Washington seems to believe he's worth the investment. The Wizards have made some shakeups after trading Kristaps Porzingis and acquiring Jordan Poole over the offseason.

Prior to his time in the NBA, Butler spent one season in Tallahassee. He appeared in 31 games, with 24 starts, and averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks in 19 minutes per game while shooting a team-best 39.3% from distance. Butler was the fifth one-and-done player in program history.