[1] Butler grew up in Reserve, Louisiana and attended Riverside Academy, where he joined the school's varsity basketball team as an eighth-grader.

[3] Butler averaged 27.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, 8.4 assists and 3.0 steals during his senior season and was again named first-team All-State as well as Player of the Year by The Times-Picayune.

[1] Butler enrolled at Alabama, but did not participate in the team's summer workouts and requested an unconditional release from his letter of intent in order to transfer to Baylor University.

He averaged 10.2 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists as a true freshman and was named honorable mention All-Big 12 Conference and to the league's All-Freshman team.

[8] Butler was named the Big 12 Newcomer of the Week on February 25, 2019, after averaging 14.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.0 rebounds in conference games against Iowa State and West Virginia.

[11] He was named the MVP of the 2019 Myrtle Beach Invitational and the Big 12 Player of the Week after averaging 17.7 points, 3.7 assists and 2.7 steals over three games as the Bears won the tournament.

[15][16] At the conclusion of the regular season, Butler was named first-team All-Big 12 and a third-team All-American by the Associated Press, USBWA, NABC and Sporting News after averaging 16.0 points, 3.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.6 steals per game.

[24] He led Baylor to its first national championship, and was named NCAA tournament Most Outstanding Player after posting 22 points and seven assists in an 86–70 win over previously undefeated Gonzaga in the title game.

[28] On July 29, Butler was selected in the second round of the 2021 NBA draft with the 40th overall pick by the New Orleans Pelicans, but was traded to the Utah Jazz via the Memphis Grizzlies.