Oct 29, 2014; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz guard
Alec Burks(10) dribbles the ball during the second half against the Houston Rockets at EnergySolutions Arena. The Rockets won 104-93. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports
Alec Burks receiving $42 million from Utah was surprising for a lot of reasons. For one, Burks has started a grand total of 15 games in his career on a Utah squad that for the most part has been awful. Secondly, Burks has never averaged more than 28 minutes a game which cast doubts about his ability to play extended minutes. Thirdly and finally, you have to wonder if Burks is even that good of a player when it comes down to it. He never cracked an average PER or TS% until last season, and even then it was just barely. He isn’t a knock-down shooter, and his defense comes and goes.
If Burks had offered to take $7 million annually, locking him up would have seemed like a smart long-term investment for a player that still carries some potential. But $10.5 million is a very optimistic price for a player who has gathered unimpressive numbers on an unimpressive team. Whether it’s because the Jazz struggle signing free agents, or if it’s because they truly value Burks, this signing reeked of desperation.
Ruling: Very premature signing that adds unnecessary dollars on Utah’s cap.