Jared Butler Enters NBA Draft; May Return to Baylor

Jared Butler announced on his Twitter page that he’s entering the NBA Draft. He also said that he may still return to Baylor for his junior season.

Under the current timeline, Butler has until June 3rd to decide if he wants to remove his name from the NBA Draft and return to school. But with COVID-19, it’s possible all these deadlines get pushed back.

Butler is listed as a second round pick on quite a few mock drafts. With a great handle and good shooting range, he has a pretty solid chance at getting picked in the second round. Maybe Butler decides he wants to start his pro career and play in the NBA immediately.

There’s also a good case for returning to school. Butler would be the Big 12 preseason player of the year. He was a unanimous First Team All-Big 12 selection last season, and if he returns, Baylor should be the pick to win the Big 12. With Butler returning, almost every website has Baylor as a top four team next year.

This is a weird time. The NBA season could extend into August. Or the season might be done. So we don’t even know when the NBA Draft will happen. Maybe summer will wipe out the virus and players will get a chance to workout for teams. Or maybe we’ll get a second wave of the virus when the country reopens too quickly.

Good luck to anyone making a major decision during the pandemic, and that goes for Butler and the class of players weighing whether to return to school.