Obvious reason Jared Butler's time with the Suns was a success

The Phoenix Suns brought their roster down to 14 players ahead of the new season, and that meant cutting point guard Jared Butler from the final group. A painful decision, given the 25-year-old had been excellent for the franchise through parts of preseason play. Instead it was Jordan Goodwin who nabbed the third-string spot at the one, the Suns favoring his better two-way play at th position.

It is fair to point out that Butler didn't exactly light it up defensively - although he did have 35 in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers - while he was also undersized at the position. Contrast that with Goodwin, who is less likely to call his own number and is much more comfortable guarding bigger, elite scorers and playmakers in this league.

Butler's brief stint in Phoenix another massive plus for front office.

But although Butler didn't make the cut - the last player to be let go alongside David Duke Jr. - the front office can still take a victory lap on signing him in the first place. Fans were puzzled when the former Philadelphia 76er was brought on alongside Goodwin for preseason play, given the team already had Devin Booker and Collin Gillespie at the position.

The rotation only needed one of those two as their third point guard - and the front office was not only right to select the two players that it did to battle it out for the job - they proved they continue to have a good eye for talent. The last few years in Phoenix have ultimately been disappointing, but you can't accuse the Suns of failing to spot talent, both through the draft and on the fringes.

Already the three rookie selections for this year of Khaman Maluach, Koby Brea and Rasheer Fleming look like good choices, while last year's picks in Ryan Dunn and Oso Ighodaro already have big roles for the Suns entering their second seasons. Ighodaro started at center in the absence of Mark Williams through injury, while Dunn is already an above average defender.

Prior to all of that, the front office also selected Toumani Camara in the second round, before sending him away in the Deandre Ayton deal. Owner Mat Ishbia has rightly received criticism for rushing into the Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal and Jusuf Nurkic deals in the past. He was also given a hard time for hiring a General Manager in Brian Gregory who had no previous experience in the role.

But Gregory has kept his head down early on and worked behind the scenes, while the decision to trade away Durant in light of his latest extension appears a smart one. Really though it is the scouting department, coaching staff and front office working in tandem that unearthed the likes of Butler, while they were also proven correct in bringing Goodwin back to The Valley.

So although it didn't work out for Butler - with the Suns no longer in the second apron and able to make more roster moves - the franchise is going to continue to get better. The trade for the often-injured Williams remains a head-scratcher, but nobody ever bats 1.000. Jared Butler's time with the Suns was brief, but it also proved what good work is going on behind the scenes.