Alec Burks Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Injury Updates: Burks, Lecque, MCW, Haliburton

January 6th, 2021 at 9:29am CST by Luke Adams

Veteran guard Alec Burks, who has missed the Knicks‘ last four games due to a sprained left ankle, underwent further testing on that ankle and is now in a walking boot, according to the team (Twitter link). He’ll be re-evaluated in about 7-10 days.

It’s an unfortunate setback for Burks, who scored 22 points in each of the Knicks’ first two games and had already racked up 18 points in 21 minutes when he was injured on December 27. However, the club has managed to win four of five games since he suffered that ankle injury (including the one he left early).

Here are a few more injury updates from around the NBA:

Pacers guard Jalen Lecque has suffered a Grade 2 left ankle sprain and has been ruled out indefinitely, the team announced in a press release. Lecque, acquired by Indiana in an offseason trade, will be re-evaluated in two weeks.
Michael Carter-Williams has been diagnosed with a mild bone bruise and a sprained ligament in his left foot, according to the Magic (Twitter link). Carter-Williams has been ruled out for Wednesday’s game vs. Cleveland and may miss additional time — his return will depend on how he responds to treatment, per the team.
Kings rookie guard Tyrese Haliburton, who has missed the team’s last two games due to a bone bruise in his left wrist, has been upgraded to questionable for Wednesday’s contest against Chicago, tweets Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee. Even if Haliburton isn’t able to play tonight, it sounds like he’s close to a return.

Knicks Notes: Burks, Rivers, Dolan, Barrett

December 26th, 2020 at 5:01pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alec Burks could join the Knicks‘ starting lineup soon after an impressive performance Wednesday in his first game with the team, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Signed during the offseason, Burks poured in 22 points in 32 minutes. Reggie Bullock got the start at shooting guard because Burks missed the last two preseason games for the birth of a child, but coach Tom Thibodeau is thinking about converting Burks to a starter.

“It’s a possibility,’’ Thibodeau said. “I like the scoring punch he gives us off the bench. He’s sort of great to have because of the versatility. The ability to be a secondary ball-handler, at times playing the point. Scoring the ball, guarding down a position. He’s got a lot of toughness to him. He’ll have significant role, whether it’s starting or coming off the bench.’’

The idea of using Burks at point guard is a sign that Thibodeau hasn’t developed confidence in Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr., Berman notes. Burks teamed with RJ Barrett in the backcourt for a while in the opener after rookie Immanuel Quickley suffered a hip pointer.

“I’m trying to get more chemistry,’’ Burks said. “We don’t have so much practice time. I’m trying to learn everybody, and that was the main thing I was happy about it. Learning everybody’s tendencies and where they like to be on the court.’’

There’s more from New York City:

There’s still no timetable for Austin Rivers‘ first game with the Knicks, but the free agent addition is making some progress in his return from a groin injury, according to Zach Braziller of The New York Post. Rivers participated in a light practice Thursday, and the team plans to be careful after he missed almost the entire training camp.
Kevin Durant‘s early-season performance makes the Knicks’ decision not to offer him a maximum contract look like the latest mistake from owner James Dolan, contends Adam Zagoria of Forbes. New York had enough cap room for two max deals in July of 2019, but Dolan was hesitant to offer full max money because Durant had just ruptured his Achilles tendon.
Fans won’t be permitted to start the season at Madison Square Garden, which Barrett believes might help the home team, Berman adds in a separate story. “Actually having no fans might be an advantage,’’ Barrett said. “I know if I was a competitor, coming into the Garden, with all those fans, I’d want to have a great game. So coming in there with no fans actually probably gives us an advantage that way too.”

New York Notes: Rivers, Burks, Chiozza, Allen, Johnson

December 3rd, 2020 at 10:46am CST by Luke Adams

New Knicks guard Austin Rivers drew interest from multiple suitors in free agency, including many who are closer to championship contention than New York. However, Rivers said this week that he jumped at the opportunity to play in the “mecca of basketball” and to try to build “something special” with his new club.

“It’s easy to go somewhere where everything already is set up and they’ve been to the playoffs four, five years in a row,” Rivers said, per Marc Berman of The New York Post. “I’ve been on those teams. Those are great experiences. But I want to take those experiences and lessons and help this team and this organization as many ways as possible. That era of people not wanting to come here, our job is to change that. We have to make that attractive. And we will.”

Here’s more on the NBA’s two teams based in New York:

The presence of former Jazz executive Walt Perrin and former Jazz assistant Johnnie Bryant in New York helped convince Alec Burks to sign with the Knicks in free agency, as Berman details in a separate New York Post story.
Chris Chiozza‘s new one-year contract with the Nets is a non-guaranteed training camp contract, tweets Keith Smith of Yahoo Sports. Brooklyn has 14 players on guaranteed contracts and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot on a partially guaranteed deal, so Chiozza will have an uphill battle to earn a regular season roster spot.
Jarrett Allen is entering a contract year and has been mentioned in trade rumors throughout the year, creating some uncertainty about his future with the Nets. The fourth-year center is trying to shut out that speculation and focus on what he can control, writes Brian Lewis of The New York Post. “At the end of the day, I just try to put it aside,” Allen said. “I know it’s big decisions, deciding where I’m playing or deciding whatever happens at the end of the day. It’s all basketball at the end of the day, whether I’m happy about what happens or not happy. It’s all basketball and I’m here to play it.”
Newly re-signed Nets guard Tyler Johnson said there were “definitely other teams and other opportunities” for him in free agency, but that he has appreciated GM Sean Marks‘ transparency and wants to compete for a title in Brooklyn. Chris Milholen of NetsDaily has the story.

Knicks Sign Alec Burks To One-Year Deal

November 20th, 2020 at 9:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

NOVEMBER 22: The Knicks have officially signed Burks, the team announced today in a press release.

NOVEMBER 20: The Knicks have made their first free agent deal of 2020/21, having agreed to sign guard Alec Burks to a one-year, $6MM contract, agent Alex Saratsis tells ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Zach Lowe (Twitter link).

New York has approximately $37MM to spend in free agency if chooses to do so and Burks is the first reported agreement.

Signing Burks on a one-year contract helps to preserve New York’s cap room for next offseason. He played a combined 66 games last season for the Warriors and 76ers, averaging 15.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 2.9 APG in those contests. Burks is a career 36.4% 3-point shooter and should emerge as a rotation piece for the Knicks next season.

Burks has a history with Knicks assistant GM Walt Perrin, Ian Begley of SNY TV notes (Twitter link). Perrin was in Utah’s front office when the Jazz drafted Burks in 2011.

Atlantic Notes: Bullock, Harris, Richardson, Horford, Raptors

October 26th, 2020 at 6:25pm CST by Dana Gauruder

Knicks guard Reggie Bullock has a team-friendly, non-guaranteed $4.2MM contract for next season and there are good reasons to retain him, including his friendship with Chris Paul, Marc Berman of the New York Post writes.

Bullock provides a veteran presence along with his reputation for being a 3-and-D wing. New York would still take a cap hit of $1MM if it doesn’t guarantee Bullock’s contract prior to free agency. Bullock’s close friendship with Paul, a potential trade target for his former agent and current Knicks president of basketball operations Leon Rose, also works in his favor.

We have more from the Atlantic Division:

The Nets can’t afford to let wing Joe Harris in free agency, Mike Mazzeo of Forbes.com opines. The Nets own Harris’ Bird rights, so they can make him a substantial offer even if it pushes them deeper into luxury tax territory. If they let him walk, they’d only have the taxpayers’ mid-level exception to replace him. Brooklyn is expected to have competition for Harris’ services with estimates that it would need to offer Harris a $15MM starting salary to retain him.
Josh Richardson and Al Horford will be traded this offseason, The Athletic duo of Rich Hofmann and Derek Bodner project in an examination of the Sixers‘ roster. In other predictions, they believe young defensive stalwart Matisse Thybulle could be added a trade sweetener in a deal involving Richardson or Horford, while Alec Burks will leave in free agency.
San Diego State guard Malachi Flynn and Kansas guard Devon Dotson worked out for the Raptors on Sunday, Marc Spears of ESPN’s The Undefeated tweets. Colorado forward Tyler Bey also worked out for Toronto, Alex Kennedy of Basketball News tweets. In ESPN’s ranking of best available prospects, Bey is slotted at No. 28 with Dotson at No. 33 and Flynn at No. 38. The Raptors own the No. 29 pick.

And-Ones: NBA Revenue, Burks, NCAA, Africa

October 19th, 2020 at 3:04pm CST by Luke Adams

The NBA’s summer restart permitted the league to recoup about $1.5 billion in revenue that would have otherwise been lost, sources tell John Lombardo of SportsBusiness Daily. As Lombardo explains, much of that $1.5 billion was tied to national and local television deals, as well as league sponsorships.

Of course, the inability to fully complete the regular season schedule and to have fans in arenas for any summer games will end up costing the NBA a significant chunk of revenue, and the coronavirus pandemic will continue to impact the league’s financial outlook going forward. Still, that financial outlook would have been significantly grimmer if the NBA hadn’t been able to successfully pull off the bubble experiment at Walt Disney World this summer.

“Without a doubt, it was worth it,” one team executive said of the reported $180MM the NBA spent to operate the Disney bubble, per Lombardo.

Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:

As he prepares to re-enter free agency, guard Alec Burks has signed with Octagon Sports for representation, the agency announced today (via Twitter). Burks signed for the veteran’s minimum last summer, but had a solid season with the Warriors and Sixers, averaging 15.0 PPG, 4.3 RPG, and 2.9 APG on .418/.385/.887 shooting in 66 games (26.6 MPG).
The NCAA’s Division I Council announced last week that winter sport athletes who compete during the 2020/21 season will receive an additional year of eligibility due to the coronavirus pandemic. While the ruling may affect future NBA draft classes, its impact should be relatively minimal, since most top prospects leave school after a year or two anyway.
In an interesting piece for ESPN.com, Matthew Kirwin of Sports Africa Network explores how Africa’s relationship with U.S. basketball and the NBA has evolved over the last few decades.

Sixers Notes: Burks, Embiid, Injuries, Simmons

July 29th, 2020 at 12:59pm CST by Arthur Hill

Alec Burks made a strong case for an increased role during the Sixers‘ three scrimmages, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. Burks continued his impressive play Tuesday, posting 15 points and seven assists in a loss to the Mavericks.

Burks averaged just 20.2 minutes per night in 11 games after being acquired from the Warriors at the trade deadline. Bodner notes that Burks’ ability to handle the ball gives the Sixers more flexibility in how they use Ben Simmons.

“I think that what we’re seeing is he’s got an innate gift to score. He can create his shots all by himself,” coach Brett Brown said after Tuesday’s game. “I didn’t play Ben in the second half. (Burks) had to assume a lot on that point guard responsibility, given that I didn’t really want to extend Shake’s (Milton) minutes. I thought he did that well and we learned a bunch of things from the minutes that he played.”

There’s more Sixers news to pass along:

Joel Embiid, who is dealing with tightness in his right calf, sat out his second straight scrimmage, Bodner adds in the same piece, but Brown expects the star center to be ready Saturday when the Sixers play their first reseeding game. “I am always sort of receiving news from our medical staff,” Brown said, “but that is my expectation.” Glenn Robinson III, who has a left hip pointer, and Raul Neto, who is experiencing discomfort in his lower back, were also held out of the scrimmage.
Simmons’ switch to power forward has been a hot topic of discussion in Orlando, but he insists he’ll play the same way regardless of position, according to Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated. The move was made to keep Milton in the starting lineup, while shifting veteran big man Al Horford to a reserve role. “I haven’t really been looking at the position,” Simmons said. “When I’m put in different situations, I’m able to succeed. These past two (scrimmages), I’ve been doing well. I can always do better. There’s a lot I need to work on. Overall, I’m getting that flow back and I’m feeling really good.”
Bodner and Rich Hofman of The Athletic examine the new starting lineup and assess the Sixers’ chances of making a long playoff run in Orlando.

Warriors Notes: Myers, Durant, Cook, Free Agents

May 16th, 2020 at 5:29pm CST by Arthur Hill

“The Last Dance” documentary series is making an impression around the NBA, particularly with the Warriors, who can identify with the challenges of trying to string together championships, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN. One of those challenges is attempting to maintain camaraderie, which became an issue on the way to the 2017/18 title, admits general manager Bob Myers.

“The second time with Kevin (Durant) it felt like, ‘Well, we just did what we were supposed to do, and great job,'” Myers said. “It wasn’t joy. I’m sure a lot of people felt differently. It wasn’t anybody’s fault. I think there’s just a weight to everything. And so I’m sure (the Bulls) felt that weight of everything, weight of relationships.”

Golden State posted 67-15 and 58-24 records and won back-to-back championships during its first two seasons with Durant. But before the quest for a three-peat was derailed by injuries in last year’s Finals, there were frequent reports that Durant was looking to leave the organization and an infamous on-court incident with Draymond Green.

“To be honest, (the documentary) is just confirmation of what I was saying to our team all of last year and 2018,” coach Steve Kerr said. “The whole messaging for the year was based on my experience with Chicago and feeling that level of fatigue (and) emotional toll that had been over the previous four years. … And so watching this now is just a reminder of how difficult it is to sustain that kind of run.”

There’s more Warriors news to pass along:

Connor Letourneau of The San Francisco Chronicle talked to a few Warriors players who are too young to remember the Michael Jordan era. Several took note of Jordan’s intense leadership style in the documentary, saying it was reminiscent of Green. “When (Jordan) just said he never asked anybody to do anything that he wouldn’t do, that really stuck with me,” Marquese Chriss said. “You want your leader to lead by example, but also be vocal at the same time. It honestly reminded me a bit of Draymond.”
Even though the Warriors dropped to the bottom of the West this season, the team’s culture continues to be a strong selling point with players, observes Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III both expressed disappointment over being traded in February, and Quinn Cook said it was important to him to sign with the Warriors in 2017. “When Golden State called, I told my agent, ‘I didn’t care if I never play,” said Cook, now with the Lakers. “I don’t have to play. I just want to be a part of the organization. I want to learn every single day from those guys.’”
Grant Liffman of NBC Sports Bay Area identifies 11 free agents that the Warriors should target, even though they will be over the cap and can only offer minimum contracts and the taxpayer mid-level exception.

Atlantic Notes: Burks, Milton, Williams, Kemba

February 29th, 2020 at 1:40pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Recently-acquired Sixers wing Alec Burks could take on more point guard responsibilities in the wake of Ben Simmons‘ injury. However, the 6’6″ guard is better suited for the shooting guard spot, as Derek Bodner of The Athletic contends.

Burks shoots the ball well of the catch, Bodner adds — the former Warrior made 37.5% of his 96 “no-dribble” attempts while in Golden State.

Here are more notes from the Atlantic Division:

The Sixers appear ready to have confidence in Shake Milton as the point guard replacement for Simmons, Mike Greger of Heavy.com relays. Gregor also details Milton’s rise to the NBA ranks.
Robert Williams is a wild card for the Celtics, Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports writes. Williams, who was the no. 27 overall pick in the 2018 draft, is Boston big man with the highest ceiling.
The Celtics are playing it safe with Kemba Walker‘s return to the court, according to A. Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports. Tuesday against the Cavs is a possible return date, as we detailed earlier today, but Blakely says that the need for caution “cannot be overstated.”

Atlantic Notes: Burks, Wright, Knicks, Simmons

February 21st, 2020 at 1:36pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Sixers head coach Brett Brown explained his plan for Alec Burks, who made his first real impact for Philadelphia on Thursday night against the Nets.

“I’m looking at him is sort of instant offense type off the bench he can be given the ball can be put in pick-and-rolls,” Brown said (via Heavy.com). “I like him more probably in the middle of the floor with the pick and roll than the sideline with the pick-and-roll I think that he can be a primary ball carrier for a while.”

Burks, who came to the Sixers along with Glenn Robinson III at the trade deadline, has spent 44 minutes on the court so far in his Sixers’ career.

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Villanova head coach Jay Wright simply isn’t interested in the Knicks‘ coaching job, as Joe Juliano of the Philadelphia Inquirer relays (Twitter link). “I haven’t talked to the Knicks, I’m not going to the Knicks. It’s crazy,” Wright said.
Ben Simmons is probable for the Sixers‘ matchup with Milwaukee on Saturday night, Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweets. Simmons missed Thursday’s contest against Brooklyn with back tightness.
Zach Braziller of the New York Post details how interim coach Mike Miller is handling the situation with the Knicks. “If we help these guys and we continue to grow and get better, then we’ve done our job,” Miller said. “All I’m concerned about is bringing value to it and helping these guys. As simple as it sounds, I did that for six years as a D-League [and] G-League coach and I felt good at the end of every season. That’s the direction that I take.”