Alec Burks
After the 2024 trade deadline, there was a lot of hype about New York acquiring Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks. The Knicks got a three-point shooter to come off the bench in the postseason in Bogdanovic and a scorer familiar with Thibodeau's system in Burks. Unfortunately, their time in New York started cold.
Burks was removed from the rotation altogether. It wasn't until injuries piled up in the playoffs that Thibodeau played him. The 33-year-old was a spark for the Knicks, but it wasn't enough to overcome the absence of other key players.
He entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. Fans knew there was a slim chance that New York would re-sign him. Soon after the first wave of free agency ended, Burks signed a one-year deal with the Heat.
Miami's had a quiet offseason while other conference teams (like the Knicks) bolstered their rosters to compete with Boston. The Heat have Jimmy Butler, but his future in South Florida is uncertain as he has a player option in 2025-26. Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that Butler isn't expected to sign an extension with Miami (or another team) before 2025 free agency.
So, while the Heat eliminated the Knicks in the 2023 playoffs, Miami seems to be on a downward spiral. An Erik Spolestra-coached team can't be counted out, though.
As strange as it'll be to see Burks in a Heat uniform, hopefully the stop in Miami works out for him.