New York Knicks need to consider signing Trey Burke

Trey Burke has had a disappointing start to his career in the NBA, but could be the perfect reserve guard option for the rebuilding New York Knicks.

The summer has all but come to an end for the New York Knicks as the franchise continues to make final offseason roster adjustments. Another name has crossed the team rumor mill as former first round draft pick Trey Burke may legitimately become an option as a reserve guard for the upcoming season.

Burke was the ninth overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, where he would go on to start at the point guard position for two seasons. As a starter Burke averaged 12.8 points per game while dishing out 5.0 assists, eventually being viewed as more of a scoring guard that could provide better service off the bench. He played well with the Jazz but faced several issues during his time with the Washington Wizards playing behind starting point guard John Wall.

Wall had a career season last year for the Wizards, forcing the team to cut Burke’s time considerably and even play him alongside Wall as a shooting guard. Burke did not respond well to the change from his more hands-on approach that made him effective in Utah, creating problems within the rotation. Head coach Scott Brooks played Burke a career low 12.3 minutes per game as the two couldn’t seem to get on the same page in regards to the former Michigan Wolverine’s role.

The news of Washington signing former Knicks guard Brandon Jennings marked the end of Burke’s tenure as Wall’s backup, relegating him to third string and a permanent seat on the bench. After the season, Burke was not retained by the Wizards, making him a free agent coming off his worst season as a professional averaging only 5.0 points per game.

ESPN‘s Ian Begley, has sources within the Knicks organization that view Burke and veteran point guard Jarrett Jack as potential free agent targets before training camp gets underway. Burke at only 24 years old could be seen as another piece for the Knicks’ new youth movement this upcoming season.

Burke can realistically fit in as a change-of-pace guard off the bench that can get hot at any moment for a big scoring game. The current Knicks trio of point guards — Ramon Sessions, Ron Baker and first round lottery pick Frank Ntilikina — each have special skills, but none of them can score like Burke.

If needed, Burke’s versatility to occasionally play shooting guard alongside either point guard will be key and allow head coach Jeff Hornacek to open the playbook up more for more running, similar to his days as coach of the Phoenix Suns.

A big adjustment needed in Burke’s game that has been a concern for his career thus far is his efficiency shooting from the field. A career 39 percent shooter from the field and a disappointing 33.7 percent from 3-point range have made him a liability if faced with zone defenses. He will need to make outside uncontested shots when defenders take away the ability to slash to the basket.

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As time ticks away until training camp, a move like this could really send another message to the league that New York is ready to develop young talent. A signing of this nature should be followed by a few trades to possibly make room for realistic rotations throughout the regular season.