Suns' reason for brutally cutting Jared Butler now makes complete sense

One of the more puzzling roster decisions the Phoenix Suns made ahead of the new season was to cut point guard Jared Butler from the roster. In a straight shootout with Jordan Goodwin, the former Philadelphia 76er lost the battle to be the third-string guy in The Valley, despite putting up 35 points in a preseason game on his way out the door.

Just before being axed we wrote about how the whole NBA owed Butler an apology, such was the offensive impact he made in a short amount of time. If you head over to Suns' Reddit - or social media in general - you will also see we were rightly ridiculed for that way of thinking. We got caught up in the moment, it happens. Butler can also flat out score, and does deserve a spot in this league.

There was simply no room for Butler in the rotation.

But it has become clear quickly just why Phoenix decided to part ways with the former Baylor standout, and it doesn't really have anything to do with his play. Through two games head coach Jordan Ott has already shown an unwillingness to break from 10 or so man rotations, and in the opening game of the season didn't play any of the three rookies who arrived this summer.

Why this is relevant to Butler is because Goodwin has barely gotten a look in either. He received a DNP alongside the rookies in the victory over the Sacramento Kings, while in the loss to the L.A. Clippers he saw six minutes of action. For those who argued the Suns should have perhaps kept both Goodwin and Butler - and we did make the case ourselves - this is the very reason why they didn't.

The backcourt is crowded enough already, and that's without Jalen Green having suited up yet. Grayson Allen has begun the season in brilliant form relative to last year, and even he is going to struggle to find a regular spot off the bench. Really though it is coach Ott's trust in backup floor general Collin Gillespie, that was the final nail in the coffin for Butler.

He's been everything the Suns could have hoped for and more, backing up Devin Booker with hustle and energy, while also having clearly improved compared to last season as well. Brooks has given him the nickname "Villain Jr.", and there really is no reason to break his flow each night, which is why Goodwin is also not getting on the court.

So although we would have loved to have seen Butler get more run in The Valley - he was a ton of fun to watch - the front office got this one right. Injuries could change the picture, but there simply was not enough room to have him along for the ride. Goodwin is the better defender and guy you want out there for small stretches to manage a game. Less exciting, but more likely to get you wins.