76ers Cut Ties With 6-Foot-3 Guard Less Than 24 Hours After NBA Draft: Report originally appeared on Athlon Sports.

The Philadelphia 76ers had a great draft pick with VJ Edgecombe on Wednesday. The 76ers used their No. 3 pick to select the Baylor guard, who has shown a lot of athleticism. Fans are excited to see how Edgecombe will fit with the team.

Following the draft pick, the front office made a decision not to continue their partnership with a 6-foot-3 guard. According to PHLY’s Kyle Neubeck on Friday, the 76ers declined Jared Butler’s $2.3 million team option for the 2025-26 NBA season.

Keeping him would’ve led the 76ers to have an overload in the backcourt, since they already have Tyrese Maxey, Jared McCain and Eric Gordon. With an overloaded backcourt, the decision to let Butler go was necessary.

The 76ers acquired Butler via a trade from the Washington Wizards for Reggie Jackson. At the time of the organization’s acquisition, the shooting guard had a two-way contract, which was eventually converted into a standard NBA deal.

Butler suited up for 28 games last season and averaged 11.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists. Due to the injuries the team sustained throughout the 2024-25 campaign, the 24-year-old guard had a lot of playing time. He averaged 24.4 minutes in Philly, which was the most he’s played since starting his career in 2021.

His highest-scoring game for the 76ers was against the Atlanta Hawks on April 11. Butler had 25 points, four rebounds and seven assists on 44.4% shooting from deep.

It would be difficult for Butler to earn minutes with the players that that 76ers will have in their roster for next season. There have also been reports that the team will pursue re-signing Quentin Grimes in free agency.

Related: 76ers Send Clear Message on Joel Embiid During NBA Draft

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 28, 2025, where it first appeared.