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Indiana Pacers: 4 draft targets that bring shooting to the roster

By Luke Parrish

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears reacts in the first half against the Houston Cougars during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - APRIL 03: Jared Butler #12 of the Baylor Bears reacts in the first half against the Houston Cougars during the 2021 NCAA Final Four semifinal at Lucas Oil Stadium on April 03, 2021 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images) /
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Indiana Pacers
Jared Butler – Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /

Jared Butler – Guard (Baylor)

Baylor won the title in 2021 thanks to some standout performances including another great season from Jared Butler. Butler, a junior guard, shot lights out from deep and was a crucial piece to their title run. He was automatic from the field, connecting on over 41 percent of his threes and over 52 percent of his twos.

For the second season in a row, Butler scored 16 points per game while shooting at a high clip from the field. He is ready to step into the second unit and contribute right away to an NBA team. If Indiana is forced to move on from T.J. McConnell as the backup point guard, pairing Butler with Edmond Sumner in that second unit may be worth a shot.

Butler was not a primary ball-handling point guard at Baylor last season but he has the tools to take that role. If the Pacers use him as an off-ball scorer, which was his primary role with the Bears, it would work out as well.

There is potential with Butler as a pick-and-roll man in a two-man game with Domantas Sabonis in the second unit – something we’ve seen between Sabonis and Doug McDermott. For a later first-round option, Jared Butler brings a lot to the table.

He can be a bright scoring option off the bench but he also has shown that he is a capable defender on the perimeter. His 2.0 steals per contest last season was near the top of all of college hoops on the season. He can fill two massive holes for a plummeting Pacers team if he falls into their lap.

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