Alec Burks

The Knicks traded Burks and Kemba Walker to the Pistons this offseason to create cap space to sign Jalen Brunson. However, due to the log jam in the backcourt, it remains unclear what Burks' role will be with Detroit, or if he even has a future with the Pistons at all. Recent lottery picks Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are expected to be the team's starting guards, while Burks, Cory Joseph and Killian Hayes would operate off the bench. Burks outplayed Walker last year and ultimately earned the starting point guard role for the struggling Knicks and finished the campaign with averages of 11.7 points, 4.9 rebounds, 3.0 assists and 1.0 steals across 81 appearances. He underwent offseason foot surgery in June but is expected to be healthy by training camp. If Burks remains with the Pistons to start the regular season, he'll likely compete with Joseph for the top backup spot, though Hayes has the highest upside of the bench guards. Burks has shot over 36.0 percent from three in four consecutive campaigns, including back-to-back seasons over 40.0 percent. His three-point shooting could be a major key in creating space for Cunningham and Ivey to showcase their play-making skills, but barring injury, he doesn't have a clear path to substantial playing time in Detroit.

After playing with five teams in two years from 2018 to 2020, Burks signed a one-year deal with the Knicks last season. He quickly established his ability to score as a key bench piece for New York, posting 12.7 points and 2.1 three-pointers over 25.6 minutes per game. The Knicks re-signed Burks to a three-year agreement this August, locking up the guard/wing as a key points-off-the-bench player in tandem with fellow veteran reserve Derrick Rose. But Burks now finds himself on a much deeper Knicks squad that added scorers Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier this summer. Fournier is an upgrade over departed Reggie Bullock at shooting guard. And Fournier can play both wing spots, which will presumably eat into Burks' minutes. Walker and Fournier averaged a combined 28.6 field goals per game last year and, clearly, all those shots will take away scoring opportunities from Burks. In other words, the days of pass-first guards Elfrid Payton and Frank Ntilikina are long gone. As a volume shooter, Burks has never been particularly accurate. He hasn't shot better than 42.1 percent from the field since 2013-14. Burks will continue to spell the improving RJ Barrett at small forward. But expect Burks' 25.6 minutes per contest from last year to decrease slightly in 2021-22 with a subsequent shortfall in counting stats.

Burks spent the first part of 2019-20 with the Warriors, occupying a sixth-man role and averaging 16.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.8 threes and 1.0 steals in 29.0 minutes. At the trade deadline, he was dealt to the 76ers. There, his role was reduced, and he averaged 12.2 points, 3.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists and 1.8 threes in 20.2 minutes. Still, it was Burks' best fantasy season of his career on a per-game basis (ranked 92nd in eight-category leagues). It was also one of his healthiest seasons, as the injury-prone guard missed only seven regular-season games. The 29-year old signed a contract with the Knicks over the offseason, coming in at one-year and $6 million. The Knicks' roster is a mess, so it's not entirely clear what role Burks will play. He's theoretically competing for minutes with Elfrid Payton, RJ Barrett, Austin Rivers, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith and others, but it's anyone's guess how that will shake out with coach Tom Thibodeau at the helm. Burks has a wide range of outcomes this season, and we can expect him to see anywhere from 20 to 30 minutes per game.

Burks de-committed from the Thunder to join the Warriors this season after spending last season with the Jazz, Cavaliers and Kings. He averaged 8.8 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.2 assists in 21.5 minutes across 64 games, achieving three-year highs in those categories. Burks is a serviceable shooter, but his minimal production across the board hasn't made him fantasy relevant in most formats at this point in his career. Still, we've seen under-the-radar players make an impact in Golden State before, and with thin depth in the backcourt and Klay Thompson out until at least the All-Star break, Burks shouldn't have a hard time carving out a rotational role for the Warriors this season. He'll play behind Steph Curry and D'Angelo Russell, but he could see minutes in the low-to-mid 20s, especially if rookie guard Jordan Poole isn't NBA-ready right out of the gate.

Burks, as a result of injuries, appeared in just 100 games from his age 23 season to his age 25 season. However, he was able to stay relatively healthy last year, playing in 64 contests and garnering 16.5 minutes per tilt. Importantly, he stepped up when given the opportunity, averaging 13.0 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists when seeing between 20 and 29 minutes. However, his relatively small role will be challenged this season, as guys like Dante Exum and Thabo Sefolosha will be coming back from injuries and the team opted to draft Grayson Allen, who looked promising in summer league. Come draft day, Burks can likely be avoided even in deeper Fantasy leagues.

Burks played in just 42 games last season after recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his ankle, which took place in November 2016. He also struggled when he did play, possibly as a result of the ankle, posting 6.7 points and 2.9 rebounds across 15.5 minutes per game while shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 25-of-76 (32.9 percent) from deep. Health might be Burks’ main hurdle at this point, as he played just 31 games during 2015-16 after fracturing his fibula and appeared in only 27 games in 2014-15 before getting surgery to correct a shoulder issue that had been bothering him since his college days. In that time, shooting guard Rodney Hood asserted himself as a legitimate starting option at the position. Now, Burks will have to not only make his way back into form, but prove he’s worthy of usurping Hood’s minutes. He’ll also have to compete with the likes of Joe Ingles, Joe Johnson, Thabo Sefolosha and Donovan Mitchell for a reserve role. Burks has shown promise in the past, but he’ll have to outplay plenty of Jazz players for the opportunity to see significant run. With all that in mind, drafting Burks comes with a lot of risk for the potential upside of middle-of-the-road production, meaning his name can probably be glossed over in many formats.

Burks saw his 2014-15 season cut short to just 27 games after undergoing season-ending surgery on his shoulder in December to correct an agitation that caused him discomfort dating all the way back to his playing days at the University of Colorado. The guard apparently struggled to raise his left arm above his shoulder at multiple times over the last five years, and his corrective surgery could mean full range of motion for the first time in his NBA career. That's a scary thought for opposing teams since he managed to produce 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 0.6 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 1.0 three on an average of 33 minutes per game in his shortened season. Burks is the projected starting shooting guard this year, and the absence of Dante Exum (ACL surgery) this season will also allow Burks to spend some minutes at point guard, although he's openly stated in the past that he feels far more comfortable playing the role of a two guard. The only impediment standing in the way of Burks being cut loose on the court this season, besides the shoulder injury, is the emergence of Rodney Hood who could challenge Burks for the role of starter. Last year was the first time Burks was the designated starter, and his previous three years in the league were spent coming off the bench to provide a scoring presence. Burks could conceivably give way to Hood over time and revert back to a sixth-man role, but for now, he's projected to start and to have standard-league relevancy regardless of whether or not he's coach Quin Snyder's first option at shooting guard.

Alec Burks will enter the 2014-15 season as one of Utah's main offensive weapons. In easily the most productive season of his three-year career, the 23-year-old averaged 14.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.2 blocks, and 0.6 three-pointers in 28 minutes per game last season. He started 12 of 78 games last season but mostly provided the Jazz with a spark off the bench via his ability to provide instant offense. The Colorado product was able to reach the 30-point benchmark twice last season despite serving as Utah's sixth man. Moving into the 2014-15 season, Burks has the inside track of being the team's starting shooting guard under new head coach Quin Snyder. However, the Jazz acquired Dante Exum in the 2014 NBA Draft, who stands to be featured at both point guard and shooting guard this year. With the addition of Exum, Burks may have to concede playing time and offensive touches by the end of the season. However, it seems like the starting shooting guard job is Burks' to lose, especially when considering that he went on a streak of 26-straight games where he scored at least 10 points per game at the end of last season.

Burks served as a combo guard last season, but now, like Hayward, will be slotted into his more natural position. At 6-6, 220, he's good-sized, but there are still questions about his scoring ability. He averaged 15.3 points per game per 36 minutes over his first two seasons but did so with a 43 field goal percentage and has only been average from downtown. He has potential, like his starting teammates, for a breakout year, but Hayward will get most of the first looks on offense.

Burks is entering his second season in the league. In his rookie year, the Jazz began giving him significant playing time in the second half of the season. He is a young, athletic shooting guard who has a good all-around game. As his game grows, Burks could end up being a very good starter to pair with Gordon Hayward in the future. He can score, and scored 15 or more points in eight games last season.

The 12th pick in the 2011 draft, Burks is an athletic shooting guard out of Colorado. He is very quick, with explosiveness that helps him finish around the rim. Although he has a decent mid-range game, he is not particularly skilled from the outside. He shot better than 50 percent from the field during his collegiate career, but was below 30 percent in three-point shooting.