Despite going undrafted, former Kentucky guard Lamont Butler is set for an NBA future with the Atlanta Hawks. Atlanta picked him up as an undrafted free agent, signing him to a two-way contract.

Butler has a chance to become an important piece for the Hawks — as he could fill an important void for them as a backup point guard.

Atlanta already has superstar point guard Trae Young, who will be incredibly ball-dominant and is unlikely to be off the floor for more than short stretches.

Butler gives them somewhat of a different look. Although Young is known as a great shooter and distributor, his size makes him somewhat of a liability defensively. While Atlanta has done a great job of building up a strong and switchable defensive team around him, that’s still something that needs to be accounted for in major games.

Enter Butler, who was the 2023-2024 Mountain West defensive player of the year with San Diego. He can function as that defensive stalwart while also still being great as a distributor (4.3 assists per game in 2025).

It’s not like there’s a lot in his way, either. Former 2023 first-round pick Kobe Bufkin has failed to impress thus far in Atlanta, averaging just 5 points on an abysmal 37.4% shooting from the field. He’s been disappointing, and, like Young, is somewhat of a one-dimensional player. He won’t make his mark defensively, nor is he a good enough passer to bridge any gap.

Keaton Wallace could be another option at that slot, although, like Bufkin, he’s somewhat one-dimensional. Unlike Bufkin, Wallace features primarily as a defensive specialist.

In both regards, Butler has them beat. He’s a much more well rounded scorer and distributor than Bufkin while being a stronger defender than Wallace. He can beat them both out for that backup role.

It does look like recent free agent acquisition Nickeil Alexander-Walker (cousin of Kentucky legend Shai Gilgeous-Alexander) could also fill the backup point guard spot in Atlanta. However, with Minnesota he functioned more as a sixth man — not necessarily as a primary ball handler.

Even though Young and starting combo guard Dyson Daniels will fill that gap as a primary ball handler — its unlikely that any of the three are ever not on the court — Butler could still carve out a niche role as Young’s direct backup at point guard.