Trey Burke: Jazz tried to break me

Trey Burke gradually fell out of favor with the Jazz.

First, he lost his starting job to rookie Dante Exum. Then, rookie Raul Neto – far less heralded than Exum, the No. 5 pick – won the starting job over Burke the following year with Exum hurt. Eventually, Utah traded Burke to the Wizards.

Burke on the Jazz, via Fox Sports 1340 AM:

They couldn’t break me. That’s what they tried to do. They couldn’t break me, though. They’d give me DNPs. Everybody asking me, “What’s going on? Why you not playing?” There’s a reason why everybody is asking me that. I just kept my head up. I was a great team guy. Everybody can vouch for that over there. I never really complained. I worked hard every day, and I waited for my opportunity.

The Jazz traded up in the draft to get Burke in 2013 and made him their starting point guard early his rookie year. They put the ball in his hands and gave him a chance to develop.

It just didn’t work.

Burke has yet to shoot well in the NBA. In attempt to get his shot going, Utah took playmaking responsibilities off his plate (not that he was dazzling there). The pick-and-roll vision Burke showed at Michigan just hasn’t translated to pros.

I don’t see how the Jazz tried to break him. I don’t see why they’d try to break their own player.

I also can’t speak authoritatively about everything that happened behind closed doors in Utah. This wouldn’t be the first time a team acted counterproductively and harmed its own player.

But this really sounds like unfair sour grapes by someone who was given an opportunity and hasn’t lived up to expectations in the NBA.