NBA
Knicks May Lose Alec Burks
The New York Knicks will soon have a decision to make in regards to the future of veteran guard Alec Burks.
Burks, who turns 33 in July, is coming off an up-and-down playoff performance, though it ended on a high after scoring 26 points in a Game 7 loss against the Indiana Pacers.
Burks’ late-postseason renaissance could make his free agency a little tricky.
“Burks is a streaky shooter,” Fred Katz of The Athletic writes. “He began this past season in an icy stretch and then scorched for the month before the trade. He cooled off again after coming to New York, and then he got hot in May. During the final six games of the Pacers series, he averaged 17.8 points on 51-43-84 shooting.”
The postseason performance should behoove the Knicks to try and keep him, but he may have earned enough money to get out of New York’s price range.
“It’s possible that Burks, who is coming off a $10 million salary, commands more than the minimum once again, which would make it difficult for the Knicks to justify bringing him back, given their roster and payroll makeup,” Katz writes.
The Knicks probably would like to bring back Burks, but they have a couple of different priorities to sort out first. New York will look to take care of OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein before Burks, and the Knicks could also seek a trade before deciding Burks’ future.
This could mean Burks negotiates with other teams first, and if someone offers more than the minimum to him, he could very well have an offer better than what the Knicks would be willing to give.