The New York Knicks could be wheeling and dealing at the NBA trade deadline, and Alec Burks is among the team’s prime candidates to be playing elsewhere in a week. At 24-28, New York finds itself the 12th seed in the Eastern Conference and running out of time to right the ship.
Burks, 30, is a well-rounded player who fits in any NBA offense. He handles the rock, is an efficient shooter, a sturdy defender and can score off the dribble. Burks has found success both starting and coming off the bench for the Knicks. He’s an optimum pickup for a contender.
Here are three ideal trade destinations for Alec Burks.
3) Dallas Mavericks make multifaceted Alec Burks trade
- Mavericks get: Alec Burks, New York’s 2022 second-round draft pick, Dallas’ 2023 first-round draft pick and New York’s 2023 second-round draft pick
- Knicks get: Jalen Brunson and Dwight Powell
A fractured foot will likely keep Tim Hardaway Jr. off the court for the remainder of the season, creating a void in the Mavericks’ rotation. Burks represents a plug-and-play option for Dallas in what would be a multifaceted trade.
Luka Doncic is a primary ball-handler. Burks is accustomed to operating and scoring with and without the ball in his hands. With Doncic now the team’s preeminent ball-handler (Brunson is moved in this trade), Burks can get more points out on the perimeter, spreading the floor for Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis to get points off the dribble.
Brunson is a free agent after this season, and Burks is potentially under contract through the 2023-24 season. Meanwhile, Dallas gets back the first-rounder it sent New York for Porzingis in 2019 and a pair of second-rounders. If they get bounced out of the playoffs early once again, the Mavericks can use some of the picks they get from the Knicks as part of an even larger trade. They also have the interior depth to replace Powell’s minutes.
- Alec Burks stats (2021-22): 11.1 points and 4.2 rebounds per game while shooting 38.3/39.9/82.8
Concerning the Knicks, Brunson becomes their point guard of the future, and they can still make a blockbuster move before the trade deadline or in the offseason, where they would presumably re-sign Brunson.
All that said, the Mavericks potentially viewing Brunson as integral to a deep playoff run could stop them from making a move for the long run.
2) Alec Burks beefs up the Chicago Bulls
- Bulls get: Alec Burks and Charlotte Hornets’ 2022 second-round draft pick
- Knicks get: Tony Bradley, Troy Brown Jr. and Chicago’s 2022 first-round draft pick
The Bulls have been hammered by injuries this season. It started with Patrick Williams and has recently continued with Alex Caruso, Lonzo Ball and Derrick Jones Jr. Acquiring Burks is a way for the Bulls to add effective depth.
Burks could become an immediate starter out on the wing for head coach Billy Donovan. He’d play in-between Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan out on the perimeter and center Nikola Vucevic in the paint; Burks complements their play. Furthermore, he provides more high-level shooting to one of the best shooting teams in the NBA.
Depth was an issue for the Bulls even before the injuries. Bradley and Brown aren’t consistent, high-minute rotation players. That’s why moving them for a player who could either start or be a sixth man makes sense. At full force, the Bulls’ second unit could include some combination of Burks, Caruso, Jones, Coby White and Ayo Dosunmu. That’s not too shabby.
- Alec Burks contract per Spotrac: first season of a three-year, $30 million deal (team option for the third season)
Chicago sends the Knicks a pair of could-be expiring contracts but most notably an immediate first-rounder, which would somewhat replenish their draft capital if they turn around and make a substantial trade. As for the Bulls, the draft pick is of minor significance, as playing up to expectations leads to them picking in the mid-to-late 20s of the first round.
What could stop this trade from taking place, though, is the Bulls preferring to not further their 2022-23 payroll, as they have to focus on re-signing LaVine this offseason.
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1) Alec Burks to the Minnesota Timberwolves
- Timberwolves get: Alec Burks
- Knicks get: Taurean Prince, Minnesota’s 2022 second-round draft pick and Minnesota’s 2023 second-round draft pick
The Timberwolves continue to make strides with a generally young team; they could use a steady veteran, which is precisely what Burks provides.
Burks likely comes off head coach Chris Finch’s bench, where he provides a versatile skill set to a talented unit in need of a little oomph. He could take on ball-handling duties for the Timberwolves while providing instant offense. A second unit of Burks, Malik Beasley, Jaden McDaniels and Naz Reid serves as a reputable bunch of starting-caliber players.
If Burks ultimately cracks the starting five or finds his way on the floor at the end of games, he provides more shooting for a Timberwolves team that attempts the most three-pointers in the NBA. Teams need veterans to complement their young foundation. The Timberpups have a handful of budding youngsters, but they have minimal veteran scorers. Burks gives them such a player and is on a reasonable contract.
Even if Burks ultimately doesn’t fit in their rotation as they envisioned, the Timberwolves should be able to trade him in the offseason. In all likelihood, though, he will make a difference on both ends of the floor.
Minnesota can send New York Prince, who’s on an expiring contract and still a talented 27-year-old forward, and a second-rounder in each of the next two drafts. The Timberwolves leave this trade without surrendering any core players or draft picks.