The Cleveland Cavaliers could be among the more active sellers before February's NBA trade deadline, and one player who could be on the move is point guard Alec Burks.
Burks was acquired by the Cavs as part of the trade that sent Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz earlier this month, but he might not be in Cleveland too much longer. The Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are among the teams interested in Burks, per longtime NBA writer Sam Amico of Amico Hoops.
6. It’s hard to imagine either Rodney Hood or Alec Burks being on the team following the Feb. 7 deadline. Both have smaller, expiring contracts. I’ve heard Burks is already drawing interest, with the Boston Celtics and injury-plagued Denver Nuggets among the teams mentioned. The Philadelphia 76ers are said to be among those with an interest in Hood.
ESPN's Brian Windhorst reported Tuesday there's a "decent chance" that Burks and Cavaliers teammate Rodney Hood are moved before the deadline.
Burks doesn't really make a whole lot of sense for the C's. The 27-year-old veteran is averaging 9.3 points but shooting just 33.8 percent from 3-point range and an even more disappointing 38.5 percent from the field.
He's a free agent at the end of the year, so he'd likely only be a rental for any team acquiring him. The Celtics already have enough depth ont the wings, even when one or two of them are injured and out of the lineup. Finding playing time for these guys is hard enough for Celtics coach Brad Stevens, so there's not a pressing need for a player like Burks.
Finding a power forward or center, prefereably one who can stretch the floor with consistent outside shooting, should be a bigger priority for the Celtics as the trade season ramps up, especially if Al Horford's injury doesn't improve as expected.
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The Celtics certainly have enough assets to make a trade if they want, and atop the list of those assets is the potential of four first-round picks in the 2019 NBA Draft.
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