Utah Jazz alums: Alec Burks to help Kings with playoff push after being dealt

Former Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks has been traded to the Sacramento Kings and could actually find himself with an invigorating opportunity.

It was a wild and crazy Trade Deadline Eve yesterday, and I have a feeling the party is just getting started. While Tobias Harris and Otto Porter were among the names that headlined the day, there were several other intriguing transactions that went down. One in particular will ring a familiar bell for Utah Jazz fans, as former Jazzman Alec Burks was traded on Wednesday from the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Sacramento Kings.

Burks was already traded earlier in the season to the Cavs in exchange for Kyle Korver after starting the 2018-19 season in Salt Lake City. Obviously, that was a quick stint in Cleveland and he’s now already on to his next stop. The transaction was a three-team deal that sent Iman Shumpert, Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin to the Houston Rockets, Brandon Knight, Marquese Chriss and a first-round draft pick to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and of course Burks to Sacramento.

Although the Kings are currently outside the playoff mix, this actually could very well give Burks an exciting opportunity – the chance to help a young, resurgent Sacramento team make a push for the playoffs. In Cleveland, Burks was playing for the second worst team in the conference that had logged just 11 wins when he was traded.

Meanwhile, the Kings led by the likes of Buddy Hield, De’Aaron Fox and Bogdan Bogdanovic have been playing surprisingly well all season, and particularly quite well of late. They’ve won three of their last four contests which has included victories over the San Antonio Spurs and Philadelphia 76ers. As such, Sacramento finds itself just a game and a half out of eighth place in the West, trailing the LA Clippers who obviously aren’t too concerned about holding that playoff spot this year after trading away their best player Tobias Harris.

Especially if the Los Angeles Lakers aren’t able to acquire any additional talent at the deadline, the Kings could be in a great spot to make a surge and qualify for the postseason. I’m not sure anyone saw that possibility coming! Kudos to the young, developing core and the hard work put in by head coach Dave Joerger.

Burks wasn’t the only player the Kings brought in to aid with what appears to be a serious and determined playoff push. They also made one of the bigger moves of the day by trading for Harrison Barnes, sending away Justin Jackson and Zach Randolph to the Dallas Mavericks.

Although Barnes has been the subject of undue criticism in recent seasons, he’s actually a solid player who was having a sensational year in Dallas, putting up nearly 18 points per game while converting on 38.9 percent of his shots from three-point land. I honestly think Barnes will help the Kings, and will make them even more dangerous in a loaded and now even deeper Western Conference.

Staving off the Lakers will be tough, but the Kings may very well be setting themselves up nicely to steal a postseason bid. In fact, the Utah Jazz and other teams currently ahead of them in the standings would do well to watch out as well. The Kings currently own the longest playoff drought in the NBA at 12 consecutive years and they appear bound and determined to end that this season.

With former Jazzman Alec Burks in their ranks, I fully hope they do just that. Burks will long be beloved by the Utah faithful, and as such, I wish nothing but the best for him and whichever team he finds himself on. This could be a fun opportunity for Alec as he gets to be a main cog to help push this hopeful team forward. Hopefully it will energize him and allow him the chance to lead his team to the promised land of postseason play.

The Kings are no longer an easy win as they’ve been in years past. With Burks and Barnes in their mix, they’re bound to be even more dangerous. Teams like the Utah Jazz and others had better avoid being caught unaware.