Former New York Knicks guard Alec Burks has agreed to join the Miami Heat on a one-year contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. The move eliminated the Knicks’ option to include him in a sign-and-trade, which would have helped the Knicks make the arithmetic work in the upcoming Mikal Bridges transaction to create extra cap space. Burks signed the veteran minimum contract valued around $3.3 million, according to the Miami Herald, after signing a three-year, $30 million deal with the Knicks in 2021. The veteran guard recently switched counsel, signing with Klutch Sports to prepare for free agency.
Burks returned for his second stint with the Knicks at the trade deadline. He was acquired from the Detroit Pistons alongside Bojan Bogdanovic in exchange for Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono, and Malachi Flynn.
Bogdanovic was used as the salary ballast in the Bridges deal. But the Knicks needed to add more salary to avoid getting hard-capped at the first apron.
The Knicks are still in the market for a backup center in the wake of Isaiah Hartenstein’s departure. However, with the market center almost dried up, they might need to find their new backup center via the trade route.
Burks, 30, averaged 6.5 points in 13.5 minutes across 23 games with the Knicks to finish the regular season. Burks averaged 14.8 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists in the Knicks’ second-round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers previous season, shooting 42.9% from three.
During the May 31 episode of the “Roommates Show” he co-hosted with Jalen Brunson, Knicks forward Josh Hart referred to McBride’s three-year, $13 million agreement as the “best contract” in the NBA. On the other hand, Achiuwa remains unsigned. However, Hartenstein’s departure opens up the possibility of Achiuwa serving as the Knicks’ backup center.
