Utah Jazz: 5 predictions for the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline

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Alec Burks

Prediction: Jazz will try to trade or package Burks in a deal at the deadline, but won’t make a trade work.

One player that has seen his name thrown in and out of trade rumors for over a season now is Jazz guard Alec Burks. This season, he’s found his name back in those trade rumors.

Burks, a 26-year-old in his seventh NBA season, is having a nice bounce-back year in Utah after averaging less than seven points in under 16 minutes per game in 2016-17.

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Burks has been a nice piece coming off the bench so far this year. Entering Wednesday night’s game against the Grizzlies, Burks is averaging 9.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, 1.2 assists and 0.7 steals in 18.8 minutes per game.

In 48 appearances, he has tallied a 41.2 field goal percentage from the field, as well as shooting 33.1 percent from 3 and a career-high 86.4 percent from the free throw line.

One of the reasons why Burks will likely remain in Utah this season, as well as next, is that he carries somewhat of a hefty contract for a piece that is in the middle of the pack for the Jazz’s second unit. Burks is making just under $11 million this season and is set to make about $11.5 million in the final year of his contract in 2018-19.

That contract will be harder for Utah to move compared to the likes of Rodney Hood, or reaching a buyout with Joe Johnson. If Hood and Johnson are indeed on their way out of Utah, that increases the likelihood that Burks remains with the Jazz to add to their wing depth behind rookie Donovan Mitchell.

The Jazz are expected to explore many options as the Thursday trade deadline approaches, but our prediction is that Burks will remain in Salt Lake City for the remainder of the season.

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