San Antonio Spurs sign former Miami Heat draft pick Da’Sean Butler - NBA update
The San Antonio Spurs stated on Friday that they have secured the services of forward Da’Sean Butler. Due to team policy, details of the contract were not unveiled to the public yet. Butler was initially picked up by the Miami Heat as the 42nd overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. He signed with the Heat on August 30, 2010. However, the Heat gave up ownership on 25 October after drafting him in the second round.
Heat coach, Erik Spoelstra, said Butler did not fit into their roster plans. "That's part of the business and we don't have the flexibility right now in our roster," Spoelstra said. "San Antonio did. From a personal standpoint, we are happy for Da'Sean."
Spoelstra also added that, "It was unfortunate that he had to get injured like that before our season even started, before he even had a chance. We wish him the best. Obviously, we would like to have the flexibility right now but because of our injuries and the makeup of our team, we simply could not do it at this time."
The 6 ft 7 inches player from the University of West Virginia, is placed on the inactive list of the Spurs as he is recuperating from a ripped left anterior cruciate ligament which he sustained during the 2010 Final Four against Duke on 3 April, his last year of college.
Butler, a 230-pound forward has represented the West Virginia University Mountaineers in four seasons. He ended up with 107 career wins, the highest by any one in school history. He was named First Team All-Big East, during his senior-season. In 38 games, he scored with an average of 17.2 points a team high, along with a 6.2 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
Butler commenced his junior year under long time head coach, Bob Huggins. He won the Second Team All-Big East title during his junior term. In 35 games he scored a team-best with an average 17.1 points, 5.9 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.29 steals. Throughout his sophomore season, Butler maintained an average of 12.9 points, 6.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists which also includes career finest shooting .495 from the field in 37 games. And when Butler was chosen for the Big East All-Rookie Team as a newly-hired, out of 36 games he produced scores with an average of 10.1 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.28 steals.
In his career with the Mountaineers, Butler remained a starter in 110 games out of 146. He averaged 14.4 points, 5.5 boards, 1.9 dimes and 1.06 steals at the same time as shooting .448 from the field, .353 beyond the arc and .732 from the free throw line. During his career he scored 2,095 points in total. He was in the third spot in the rankings of school history after Hot Rod Hundley and Jerry West.
Butler, who will wear the number 01 jersey for the Spurs, played four seasons at West Virginia, earning first-team All-Big East honours as a senior.
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