Indiana Pacers: 3 prospects to avoid in the 2021 NBA Draft

The Indiana Pacers cannot risk Jared Butler’s health

Baylor guard Jared Butler will not be cleared to play until he is approved by the Fitness-to-Play panel after a heart condition was detected. While he may be cleared relatively soon as this was just a precautionary measure by the NBA, the Indiana Pacers cannot afford to miss on a draft pick due to medicals when those same medicals were made very clear prior to the draft.

I do like Butler as a player but the risk is not worth it right now. He averaged over 16 points per game in each of his final two seasons at Baylor while shooting 41.6 percent from three-point range in his final season. Scoring is his calling card as he can create for himself and others. His role in Indiana would be very similar to Aaron Holiday‘s but Butler is a much better defender.

His struggles with turnovers and lack of elite athleticism, combined with his age, will knock him down a bit in the lottery and likely even out of the lottery completely. Now with his medical condition forcing him to miss out on some summer workouts, Butler has an uphill battle.

The Pacers can look at other combo guards that do not come with the risk, including Butler’s teammate Davion Mitchell. Tre Mann, James Bouknight, and Josh Giddey are also viable options in the lottery if the Pacers decide to go after a guard.