The New York Knicks should strongly consider re-signing Alec Burks

The Knicks have obliterated expectations this year, currently operating with a respectable record of 23-22 after many NBA experts predicted them to finish as one of the worst teams in the league. It’s important to enjoy the present team scrapping out wins, but the future looks to be even more exciting.

New York owns multiple first-round picks in the 2021 draft and is expected to operate with just over $50 million in cap space to upgrade the roster.

The current group has some holes to fill and players to let go of, but one current Knick who should be back on the team next year is backup shooting guard Alec Burks.

Burks wasn’t a splashy signing back in November, as his 1-year, $6 million contract hardly turned heads.

He’s since become a crucial piece of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, operating as a spark plug off the bench while also ranking as the team’s third-leading scorer at 13.0 points per game.

Knicks: Alec Burks has been a valuable part of the team

He’s hitting exactly 40% of his threes this season, but his shooting impact goes beyond his basic percentage from behind the arc.

Shot creation is an area that Burks has always excelled at, and this year is no different. Over 25% of his three-point makes have been unassisted, the second-highest mark on the team behind breakout rookie Immanuel Quickley. Burks is also currently shooting 44.6% on those pull-up threes, an insanely high mark.

Burks’ versatility has also been a welcome addition to a New York team that has dealt with a slew of injuries throughout the season. He’s spent time as a point guard, shooting guard, and small forward at various points of the year. He’s the only Knick to spend at least 9% of his minutes at three separate positions.

His durability has also been key as of late. After missing 12 games in a row at the end of December, Burks has suited up in every one of the team’s last 30 games.

The 9-year veteran has also been an amazing situational performer, consistently stepping up when the team needs him to. When the game is within 5 points, Burks shoots 43.9% from three. In 4th quarters, he’s knocking down 44.4% of his triples.

Thibodeau stressed the importance of corner threes ever since his first day as head coach, so it’s no surprise that Burks has been nearly automatic from that range as he’s currently shooting 46% in that area of the court.

Despite taking (and making) a large portion of his own shots, the 29-year old has still fit seamlessly alongside the team’s likely future building blocks. The trio of Burks, RJ Barrett, and Julius Randle has outscored opponents by 7.5 points per 100 possessions. The bench duo of Burks and Quickley have also outscored opponents by 3.1 points per 100 possessions.

Team President Leon Rose and the rest of the front office will have a lot of decisions to make this upcoming summer, especially during the start of free agency. However, they would be wise to keep Burks in New York where he can continue to operate as instant offense off the bench for a playoff-contending Knicks team.