John Erik Butler Jr. (born December 4, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Capital City Go-Go 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. 19 – Capital City Go-Go | |
|---|---|
| Position | Power forward / center |
| League | NBA G League |
| Personal information | |
| Born | December 4, 2002 Greenville, South Carolina, U.S. |
| 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–present | Capital City Go-Go |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball-Reference.com | |
High school career
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
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
Portland Trail Blazers (2022–2023)
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–present)
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]
Career statistics
| 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
| 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
| 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
Butler's mother, Casie, played college basketball for South Carolina.[17] His father, John Sr., serves as head basketball coach at Christ Church Episcopal School.[1]
References
External links
- Career statistics and player information from NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com
- Florida State Seminoles bio