Cleveland Cavaliers playing Alec Burks more is solidifying his trade value

Alec Burks has played well in his time with the Cleveland Cavaliers, and with the NBA trade deadline around the corner, that’s a double-plus.

The Cleveland Cavaliers clearly are focused on the future. With them rebuilding, acquiring future assets is essential in the coming years, and they should be taking advantage of Alec Burks playing very well right before the trade deadline coming on February 7. Since coming to the Cavaliers (reportedly along with future draft picks) from the Utah Jazz in a trade centered on Kyle Korver, Burks has averaged 11.9 points, 4.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game.

Though it’s only been a 22-game sample size, he’s played 29.0 minutes per contest for Cleveland, which would be the second-most action he’s seen in a season sample in his career, per Basketball Reference. Burks has provided solid scoring for the Cavs, while also getting his teammates involved consistently.

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He’s started 13 of 22 games for Cleveland, which is more than the last three-plus seasons combined, when he was on Utah (per Basketball Reference).

That expanded role as a playmaker for the rebuilding Cavaliers is something that definitely should not hurt Burks’ trade value in the coming weeks as Cleveland probably will look to deal key pieces like Burks to teams looking to make a postseason push.

Clearly, Cleveland trading him looks pretty set at this point.

According to Cleveland.com’s Chris Fedor (h/t Cavs Nation’s Bruno Manrique), “it’s not a matter of if, but when.”

Hood (who is on an expiring contract, per Spotrac) is currently dealing with reported Achilles soreness, though, and I’m not sure the Cavs will be able to get as much for him as they could get for Burks.

Hood also has an “implicit no-trade clause,” that he might use in order to decline a trade to another team and stick around, due to him accepting a qualifying as a restricted free agent, (as was noted by HoopsRumors’ Luke Adams).

As we’ve noted often here at KJG, Burks’ contract is also expiring after the season (again, per Spotrac), and a solid player (on both ends of the floor) like him should allow Cleveland to keep acquiring future draft picks via trade.

Burks always seems to make the right basketball play on the offensive end, whether that comes from spotting up off of ball-swings, making timely diagonal cuts to the rim, making plays for teammates with pocket passes and swinging the ball himself, or working out of the pick-and-roll efficiently.

With Burks making quality decisions during his time on the floor, players such as Jordan Clarkson, Cedi Osman and Larry Nance Jr. have often taken advantage. Teams can never have enough playmaking in the postseason, and Burks can do that both in a starting or bench role very effectively.

In addition, he is a solid defender on perimeter players, as evidenced by him doing an admirable job when rotating to shooters and in containing drives as a primary defender on opposing primary ball-handlers, even with often clueless Cleveland Cavaliers’ defenders around him.

With Burks’ ability to respectively guard against 1’s, 2’s and 3’s and be a multi-faceted offensive player, NBA teams in contention for the postseason should come calling.

Cleveland would be smart to take advantage of Burks’ recently-expanded role on a rebuilding team, and snag a future pick out of dealing him.

Sam Amico of Amico Hoops noted this in regards to Burks’ (and Hood’s) trade value recently.

"“A pick in the late-first or early second-round would likely be the highlight of package for Hood or Burks.”"

Hey, better than nothing, right?

If the Cavs love Burks, maybe they could sign him back to a reasonable deal in the summer as a veteran perimeter player, but not trading him when they should have the chance in the coming weeks to help their future doesn’t make sense, frankly.