John Butler Jr.
John Erik Butler Jr. (born December 4, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.
 Butler Jr. with the Capital City Go-Go in 2023 | |
| No. 13 – Wisconsin Herd | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / center |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 4, 2002 |
| Listed height | 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) |
| Listed weight | 190 lb (86 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | Christ Church Episcopal (Greenville, South Carolina) |
| College | Florida State (2021–2022) |
| NBA draft | 2022: undrafted |
| Playing career | 2022–present |
| Career history | |
| 2022–2023 | Portland Trail Blazers |
| 2023 | →Stockton Kings |
| 2023–2025 | Capital City Go-Go |
| 2025–present | Wisconsin Herd |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
John Erik Butler Jr. (born December 4, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Wisconsin Herd of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the Florida State Seminoles.
High school career
[edit]Butler played basketball for Christ Church Episcopal School in Greenville, South Carolina, where he was coached by his father, John Sr., and was teammates with his younger brother, Jordan.[1] As a senior, he averaged 20.1 points, 8.5 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game, earning Upstate Player of the Year honors from The Greenville News.[2] Butler was named Class 2A Player of the Year and led his team to the state championship.[3] A four-star recruit, he committed to playing college basketball for Florida State over offers from Georgia Tech, Alabama, South Carolina, Vanderbilt and Wake Forest.[4]
College career
[edit]On March 2, 2022, Butler recorded a career-high 16 points, eight rebounds and four blocks in a 74–70 win against Notre Dame.[5] As a freshman, he averaged 5.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game, shooting 39.3 percent from three-point range. Butler declared for the 2022 NBA draft and opted to forgo his remaining college eligibility.[6]
Professional career
[edit]Portland Trail Blazers (2022–2023)
[edit]After going undrafted in the 2022 NBA draft, Butler joined the New Orleans Pelicans for NBA Summer League play.[7] On October 3, 2022, he was signed to a two-way contract by the Pelicans for the 22–23 season. However, he was waived on October 10.[8]
On October 20, 2022, Butler signed a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers,[9] and on February 26, 2023, he was assigned to the Stockton Kings by the Trail Blazers.[10]
On July 6, 2023, Butler signed another two-way contract with the Blazers,[11] but was waived on October 21.[12]
Capital City Go-Go (2023–2025)
[edit]On October 23, 2023, Butler signed a two-way contract with the Washington Wizards.[13] However, he was waived on December 8,[14] after appearing in nine games with the Capital City Go-Go, Washington's NBA G League affiliate.[15] On December 10, he rejoined Capital City.[16]
On October 13, 2024, re-signed with the Wizards,[17] but was waived six days later.[18][19] On October 28, he rejoined the Go-Go.[20]
Wisconsin Herd (2025–present)
[edit]On March 6th, 2025, Butler was traded to the Wisconsin Herd for the returning rights of Darryl Morsell, a 2026 G-League Draft first round, and a second round pick. On November 7, 2025, Butler was named to the Wisconsin Herd opening night roster.[21]
Career statistics
[edit]| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
NBA
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Portland | 19 | 1 | 11.6 | .321 | .229 | .750 | .9 | .6 | .4 | .5 | 2.4 |
| Career | 19 | 1 | 11.6 | .321 | .229 | .750 | .9 | .6 | .4 | .5 | 2.4 | |
College
[edit]| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | Florida State | 31 | 24 | 19.0 | .416 | .393 | .440 | 3.2 | .7 | .4 | 1.2 | 5.9 |
Personal life
[edit]Butler's mother, Casie, played college basketball for South Carolina.[22] His father, John Sr., serves as head basketball coach at Christ Church Episcopal School.[1]
References
[edit]- ^ a b Preston, Geoff (February 18, 2020). "Standing tall: How Christ Church Butler brothers juggle public eye and basketball pressure". The Greenville News. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Dandron, Joe (January 19, 2022). "Former Christ Church star John Butler Jr. leads Florida State upset of No. 5 Duke". The Greenville News. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Ferrante, Bob (January 31, 2022). "Butler grew up, grew comfortable with his shot, embracing FSU". TheOsceola.com. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Preston, Geoff (July 29, 2020). "Christ Church basketball star John Butler Jr. commits to Florida State". The Greenville News. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ "John Butler helps host FSU thwart Notre Dame". Orlando Sentinel. Associated Press. March 2, 2022. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Veazey, Austin (June 1, 2022). "John Butler makes NBA Draft decision". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
- ^ Yanity, Pete (July 9, 2022). "Butler looks to fit with Pelicans". WSPA. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ "Pelicans sign Kelan Martin and Javonte Smart". NBA.com. October 10, 2022. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- ^ "Trail Blazers Sign John Butler Jr. to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. October 20, 2022. Retrieved March 17, 2023.
- ^ "Portland Trail Blazers Flex-Transfer John Butler Jr. to Stockton Kings". NBA.com. February 26, 2023. Retrieved February 26, 2023.
- ^ "Trail Blazers Re-Sign Ibou Badji And John Butler Jr. To Two-Way Contracts". NBA.com. July 6, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
- ^ "Trail Blazers Convert Justin Minaya To Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. October 21, 2023. Retrieved October 22, 2023.
- ^ "Wizards Sign John Butler Jr. To Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. October 23, 2023. Retrieved October 28, 2023.
- ^ "Wizards Sign Jules Bernard to Two-Way Contract". NBA.com. December 8, 2023. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ Maher, Rory (December 8, 2023). "Wizards Waive John Butler Jr". HoopsRumors.com. Retrieved December 8, 2023.
- ^ "2023-2024 Capital City Go-Go Transaction History". RealGM.com. Retrieved December 11, 2023.
- ^ Wizards PR [@WizPRStats] (October 13, 2024). "Official: The Washington Wizards have signed F Taylor Funk and F/C John Butler Jr. to Exhibit 10 contracts" (Tweet). Retrieved October 13, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ Wizards PR [@WizPRStats] (October 19, 2024). "The Washington Wizards have waived F/C John Butler Jr., F Taylor Funk, and F Mouhamadou Gueye" (Tweet). Retrieved October 21, 2024 – via X (formerly Twitter).
- ^ Lee, Albert (October 19, 2024). "Wizards waive John Butler, Jr., Funk and Gueye". BulletsForever.com. Retrieved October 20, 2024.
- ^ "Go-Go Announce Training Camp Roster, Dates". NBA.com. October 28, 2024. Retrieved November 3, 2024.
- ^ "WISCONSIN HERD ANNOUNCES 2025-26 OPENING NIGHT ROSTER". gleague.nba.com. November 7, 2025. Retrieved November 7, 2025.
- ^ "John Butler Jr. is a Truly Unique Talent". Phenom Hoop Report. September 3, 2018. Retrieved June 19, 2022.
External links
[edit]- Career statistics from NBA.com · Basketball Reference
- Florida State Seminoles bio