Cleveland Cavaliers newcomer Alec Burks is reportedly happy with the trade, given that he wasn’t getting many minutes under Quin Snyder’s rotation with the Utah Jazz and now stands to get more playing time as a member of the Cavs, according to Eric Woodyard of The Deseret News.
While Burks was clearly hoping for more playing time in Utah, he will be significantly missed among his teammates. The former Colorado product never complained or unraveled when things didn’t go as planned, but rather “went about his business and stayed ready, whenever his time came,” according to Tony Jones of The Athletic.
His teammates appreciated that, as evidenced by a heartfelt Joe Ingles tweet that has a much different tone than his usual sarcastic one directed at his teammates.
Alec Burks has had a tough go with untimely injuries, taking some of his opportunities away. While he’s worked tirelessly to get back to his former explosive self, his upside was capped first by the team’s insistence in playing Rodney Hood (something that likely won’t become a problem this time around) and then the emergence of Donovan Mitchell, who is now etched as the franchise cornerstone moving forward.
The 6-foot-6 shooting guard is putting up 8.4 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game on the season and could provide a valuable boost for the Cavs, who will only get younger with him on the floor and two future second-round picks to arrive from the Kyle Korver trade.