The New York Knicks have tested the market for trading guard Alec Burks while bringing almost no salary back, part of their effort to clear cap space to make a run at free agent guard Jalen Brunson (or, failing that, maybe Kyrie Irving).
Which likely is why the organization didn’t announce this: Burks had foot surgery. Fred Katz of The Athletic broke the news, which others soon confirmed.
Knicks guard Alec Burks underwent foot surgery and is expected to return for the start of training camp, sources tell @TheAthletic.
— Fred Katz (@FredKatz) June 22, 2022
confirming Alec Burks underwent foot surgery. ….The procedure was soon after the season, according to a source https://t.co/WfueWs1zi2
— Stefan Bondy (@SBondyNYDN) June 22, 2022
The Knicks season ended on April 10.
What will concern teams considering bringing in Burks is the history of foot issues, as noted by Jeff Stotts of In Street Clothes.
As Nate notes, this will be the 5th lower extremity surgery for Burks since December of 2015. https://t.co/gIcz9sCBld
— Jeff Stotts (@InStreetClothes) June 22, 2022
On a broader note (and something mentioned by Nate Duncan), in a league forming partnerships with gambling entities as part of their business model, transparency matters. The Knicks season was over and this specific situation didn’t impact any games directly, but the Knicks keeping this quiet speaks to the inherent conflict between teams looking for an edge and gamblers needing transparency. This could become an increasing issue for the league in the coming years.
The good news is Burks should be ready to go next fall (although there are some rumors he could be slowed at the start of camp). Wherever he plays.
