Shams: Potential 1st-Round Pick Jared Butler Not Permitted to Play, Practice by NBA

Baylor star Jared Butler has been medically flagged ahead of the 2021 NBA draft, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium.

Charania reported Butler will need to receive clearance from a fitness-to-play panel before he can practice or play in games. He can still meet and speak with teams leading up to the July 29 draft.

The 6'3" guard averaged 16.7 points, 4.8 assists and 2.0 steals for the Bears in 2020-21 as they won their first national title. He landed 17th overall in the most recent big board by Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.

It's unclear why the NBA referred Butler to the fitness-to-play panel.

Larry Coon, an expert in the salary cap and collective bargaining agreement, explained that the panel is made up of three physicians.

"The panel will review the player's medical information and examine him personally (unless a personal examination is determined to be unnecessary) and report to the league, team and players association whether the player is fit to play, guided by current medical knowledge, authoritative medical guidelines, and the best available objective evidence," Coon wrote.

Howard Beck reported for B/R in December 2016 that the initiative was spurred in part by the difficulty of evaluating the status of former Miami Heat star Chris Bosh. The 11-time All-Star had been hopeful to resume his career despite experiencing blood clots.

The fitness-to-play panel was a mechanism for reaching an objective conclusion regarding a player's health.