Tag: Alec Burks

Former Buff Alec Burks signs one-year deal with Miami Heat

Former Colorado standout Alec Burks is taking his talents to South Beach

Former Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball guard Alec Burks is headed to the Miami Heat on a one-year contract, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Burks began the 2023-2024 season with the Detroit Pistons before being traded to the New York Knicks at the trade deadline. The soon-to-be 33-year-old averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.3 assists between the two teams. Amid New York’s injury-ridden playoff run, Burks stepped up by averaging almost 15 points per game on 50% shooting.

Burks’ deal is another accomplishment to add to the busy year NBA Buffs have had. Boston Celtics guard Derrick White inked a four-year, $125.9 million extension and Colorado had three players drafted for the first time since 1981. Cody Williams became the second player behind Burks to be a lottery selection in the head coach Tad Boyle era, coincidentally heading to the same organization that took Burks in the Utah Jazz.

Burks has played for the Jazz, Cleveland Cavaliers, Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, Pistons and Knicks in his 13-year NBA career.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Rockets reportedly interested in signing ‘two-way veteran’ in free agency

Alec Burks, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Eric Gordon could be names to watch as the Rockets pursue a “two-way veteran” in free agency, Kelly Iko reports.

Guards and wings such as Alec Burks, Talen Horton-Tucker, Saddiq Bey, and Eric Gordon are names to watch as the Rockets pursue two-way veteran players in free agency, The Athletic’s Kelly Iko reports.

Houston has several spending tools available to use in the 2024 offseason, including the non-taxpayer mid-level exception — which offers a starting salary of approximately $13 million annually.

Head coach Ime Udoka previously identified shooting and defensive versatility as among the team’s needs this offseason. But according to Iko, it’s important that both of those come in the same package, so that Houston isn’t sacrificing one for the sake of the other.

Iko writes:

Shooting is seen as paramount but simply adding sharpshooters who can’t defend is not ideal. So, a player like Doug McDermott wouldn’t be a fit with Udoka.

Two-way veterans like Alec Burks, Gary Harris, Talen Horton-Tucker and Saddiq Bey (among others) are of interest, but Bey’s restricted free agency makes things difficult. Free agent Eric Gordon is “50-50” on a return to Phoenix, according to a source close to the veteran guard, but is also interested in a Rockets reunion.

From the 2023-24 season, key statistics for those players are:

  • Alec Burks (Pistons, Knicks): 10.4 points in 18.4 minutes; 37.6% on 3-pointers
  • Talen Horton-Tucker (Jazz): 10.1 points, 3.5 assists in 19.8 minutes; 33.0% on 3-pointers
  • Saddiq Bey (Hawks): 13.7 points, 6.5 rebounds in 32.7 minutes; 31.6% on 3-pointers
  • Eric Gordon (Suns): 11.0 points, 2.0 assists in 27.8 minutes; 37.8% on 3-pointers

2024 NBA free agency agreements can be reached between teams and external players starting on the night of Sunday, June 30.

[lawrence-related id=124304,124298]

Alec Burks listed as realistic target in free agency for the Warriors

Alec Burks could be a realistic target for the Golden State Warriors this summer.

The Golden State Warriors are expected to be active during the offseason. The franchise failed to qualify for the playoffs this season. However, Joe Lacob has discussed his desire for the franchise to get out of the luxury tax, after being a repeat offender for multiple years. As such, Golden State must walk a tightrope when retooling the current roster.

According to Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, Alec Burks could be a logical target for Steve Kerr’s team. The veteran ballhandler will enter unrestricted free agency this summer and is unlikely to have an offer from the New York Knicks. He struggled to crack their rotation after being traded to the franchise at the trade deadline.

“Former Warrior Alec Burks would be a decent option as a veteran wing who might sign for less than the taxpayer’s mid-level,” Bailey wrote. “He couldn’t find a spot in Tom Thibodeau’s ultra-tight New York Knicks rotation, but over the three seasons prior to this one, his teams were plus-2.7 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor and minus-4.2 when he was off.”

It’s worth noting Golden State can’t use their taxpayer mid-level exception if they remain above the second tax apron. One of the punitive measures for being so far over the luxury tax is the loss of the MLE. Golden State would need to shed salary before opening the valuable exception.

Nevertheless, Burks could be a logical addition. He knows Kerr’s system, is positionally versatile and can bring playmaking to the second unit. Still, there will likely be multiple teams interested in Burks, and the Warriros could face a battle to secure his signature.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3 category=1471 tag=1365]

Former Buff Alec Burks provides veteran spark in New York Knicks’ playoff run

Former Buff Alec Burks was a bright spot for the Knicks in their second-round playoff series

Former Colorado men’s basketball star Alec Burks took on a veteran presence in his 13th NBA season, providing a scoring spark off the bench in the New York Knicks’ seven-game playoff showdown with the Indiana Pacers.

The Knicks ultimately lost the second-round series to the rival Pacers, with injuries plaguing New York as it tried to keep up with Indiana’s explosive offense. Burks missed the entirety of the first round against the Philadelphia 76ers due to a sprained right shoulder, yet quickly received crucial minutes against the Pacers.

Burks returned in Game 2 of the series against the Pacers but only played 44 seconds. In the final five games, however, he averaged 17.8 points on 51% shooting from the field off the bench. He led the Knicks in scoring with 20 points in their Game 4 loss and added 26 points in their Game 7 loss, one point shy of his playoff career-high he set against the Atlanta Hawks in 2021.

The 32-year-old guard was not one to back down in the postseason for the Buffs, averaging 24.7 points per game across the Big 12 Conference Tournament and the National Invitation Tournament during his sophomore year.

With New York’s season complete, Burks is now an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 10.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.3 assists this past season, beginning the year with the Detroit Pistons before a trade reunited him with the Knicks.

The Pacers advanced to the Eastern Conference finals to face Derrick White, the last former Buff in the playoffs, and his top-seeded Boston Celtics.

Contact/Follow us @BuffaloesWire on X (Twitter), and like our page on Facebook for ongoing coverage of Colorado news, notes and opinions.

Bojan Bogdanovic trade grades: Who won the Knicks – Pistons deal?

The Knicks did well for themselves here by adding some veterans.

The New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons were two of the busiest teams at the 2024 NBA trade deadline.

New York moved on from Quentin Grimes and Evan Fournier, two players they were long rumored to have on the market, for immediate scoring help from Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanovic (who is averaging more than 20.0 points per game for the third time in the NBA).

Even though Grimes showed promise early in his NBA career, Burks and Bogdanovic are two veterans who can step on the court and help the Knicks contend in the Eastern Conference this season.

While more moves could come for both teams before the deadline, let’s get into these trade grades on this specific deal:

3 backup guards that make sense for Thunder at trade deadline

3 backup guards that make sense for Thunder at the trade deadline.

Sitting at 27-11 and tied for first place in the Western Conference standings, the Oklahoma City Thunder approach the Feb. 8 trade deadline as buyers for the first time in several years.

The Thunder have broken open a contention window led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams round out one of the league’s best trios.

While OKC is not expected to make any blockbuster deals, expect it to possibly make minor upgrades to improve its depth heading into its first playoff appearance since 2020.

Thunder general manager Sam Presti can strengthen the backup guard spots. Vasilije Micic has found a bit of a groove recently, but there is always a need for playmakers.

That is not necessarily an urgent need. The Thunder roll deep in guard depth with Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Isaiah Joe and Cason Wallace manning the top five spots. The emergence of Williams as a playmaker also makes it less of a need.

However, contenders can never have too much guard depth. If the deal makes sense, OKC can make improvements on the margins.

The Thunder have plenty of draft capital and young prospects to facilitate any type of deal. Scouring through the league, let’s look at three bench guard options OKC could add.

Report: Rockets showed trade interest in Detroit’s Alec Burks

Earlier this fall, the Rockets reportedly showed interest in trading for Detroit’s Alec Burks, and his name could soon resurface as NBA trade season nears.

When the Houston Rockets canvassed the NBA for potential Kevin Porter Jr. trades in September and October (following his off-court arrest), general manager Rafael Stone eventually settled on a package from Oklahoma City headlined by Victor Oladipo.

Oladipo wouldn’t seem to have much, if any, basketball value this season, since the veteran guard is recovering from a serious knee injury suffered in the 2022-23 playoffs. But his expiring $9.5-million salary provides Stone and the Rockets added financial flexibility to help match salaries on future trade proposals.

Before settling on Oladipo, Houston reportedly canvassed the league for possibilities that could provide both a salary slot and basketball value. However, the period leading up to the start of each regular season is usually a relatively quiet one, for trades, since many potential sellers aren’t motivated to do so on the eve of a new season. In theory, that new season offers unlimited potential.

But as results trickle in, that optimism can fade quickly. One example is Detroit. The Pistons (2-18) entered this week with 17 straight losses. Their incentive to keep veteran players on expiring contracts is rapidly diminishing, since the value of the 2023-24 season is minimal, and there’s a potential risk of losing players for no compensation after that.

In his latest column on the Pistons, Yahoo’s Jake Fischer writes:

As of now, Detroit is only expected to factor into this winter’s upcoming trade window as a potential seller of veteran talent, most notably combo guard Alec Burks and sharpshooter Bojan Bogdanović. Burks was of particular interest to the Rockets, league sources told Yahoo Sports, when Houston was navigating trade scenarios for Kevin Porter Jr. prior to this season, and Houston still has Victor Oladipo’s $9.5 million salary to play with before February’s trade deadline. There’s also veteran point guard Monte Morris, who’s been sidelined with a quad strain and has one season left at just $9.8 million.

On paper, Burks and Morris would seem to be the types of established veterans teams are reluctant to trade prior to giving their current group a chance to succeed. But once it becomes evident that the current season is lost, and thus has no value, securing draft capital for their services is a better outcome than potentially losing the player for no compensation in the next free agency window.

The Rockets (8-9) have three second-round picks in the 2024 draft, and they’d likely prefer to move at least one of those, since they would not have room to roster so many young players. In theory, the Rockets could package Oladipo’s expiring contract and one of those second-round selections to meet Detroit’s needs for both salary and an asset.

If Houston eventually acquires Burks, the 32-year-old would likely fill the backup wing role once earmarked for Porter. Over an extended NBA career, the 6-foot-6 veteran has averaged 10.8 points (38.3% on 3-pointers), 3.5 rebounds and 22.9 minutes.

[lawrence-related id=117170,118487]

Report: Rockets have explored trades for Alec Burks, Talen Horton-Tucker, Malcolm Brogdon

The #Rockets have explored trades for Alec Burks, Talen Horton-Tucker, and Malcolm Brogdon in recent weeks, Yahoo’s Jake Fischer reports.

For weeks, the Houston Rockets had wanted to move on from Kevin Porter Jr. in the wake of his September arrest in New York for an alleged assault and strangulation against his girlfriend.

On Tuesday, Rockets general manager Rafael Stone was able to get it done by including two second-round draft picks as part of a package landing Victor Oladipo and Jeremiah Robinson-Earl from Oklahoma City. The Thunder will immediately waive Porter.

Oladipo, however, is not ready to play basketball after suffering a torn patellar tendon during the 2023 NBA playoffs last April.

So while Oladipo’s expiring $9.5-million contract could replace most of Porter’s salary slot in future trades, the ideal scenario would be to have that salary slot filled by a player who could also help the Rockets win more games in the short-term. After all, according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, “the Rockets expect to compete for the play-in tournament this spring (in the 2023-24 season).”

While Oladipo can’t be traded in combination with other players until 60 days after his acquisition by the Rockets, he could be traded immediately, if he’s the only outgoing player in the deal.

So, what might make sense for Stone and the Rockets in a deal involving Oladipo and future draft compensation? In his latest article, Fischer outlined three possibilities of at least some interest. All three are guards who play a somewhat similar role to Oladipo and the one Porter was expected to play prior to his September arrest.

Colorado men’s basketball all-time roster: Honorable mentions

Our look back at Colorado’s all-time greats continues

We recently released our picks for the best players to ever suit up for the Colorado Buffaloes men’s basketball program. The players and coaches named to the starters and bench units were the best of the best, their names dotted most every page of the record book for the school.

After researching over 120 years of basketball history and countless names, I can say without a doubt that it’s very hard to limit that history to 13 names. Who were the near misses? Which players just missed the cut?

Now, we present the Buffs who needed to have their names mentioned alongside CU’s all-time greats. Here are our honorable mention picks: