Untouchable to expendable: Where does each Utah Jazz player rank?

9 of 16

SALT LAKE CITY, UT – MARCH 30: Alec Burks #10 of the Utah Jazz handles the ball against the Memphis Grizzlies on March 30, 2018 at vivint.SmartHome Arena in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Melissa Majchrzak/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Alec Burks

Alec Burks is an interesting case. Leading up to the trade deadline, he was viewed as one of, if not the most expendable player on the Jazz roster. Having worked his way out of the rotation due to his out-of-control play and questionable decisions, his nearly $11 million contract felt like an immense burden.

Then during the playoffs, Burks actually showed some of the reason why he received that payday in the first place. He put up 9.1 points and shot 46.9 percent from the field and 45 percent from deep while serving as one of Utah’s more prolific offensive threats and a better than average defender.

All of a sudden, he had some folks questioning why he was ever out of the rotation in the first place!

Still, I’m not entirely convinced that Burks’ future is with this Jazz team. He had his moments in the postseason, but it was a small sample size after a regular season full of evidence that he wasn’t deserving of a spot in the rotation. His playoff performance may lead the Jazz to see how well he can contribute next season, but at the end of the day, the hope is likely that he can raise his trade value to help the Jazz either shed his contract or get value back in a deadline deal.

Maybe Burks has turned a corner and can still prove helpful for this team, but if history is any indicator, that’s likely not the case.

Verdict: Still pretty expendable, but not as much of a burden as he was formerly thought to be

Home/Jazz News