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Summary

After briefly falling out of the league in 2017, Burke was able to fight his way back onto the Knicks near the end of the '17-'18 season by getting hot from midrange and scoring at an overall above-average rate. Predictably, those shooting numbers did not continue into the '18-'19 season, but Burke was still able to hit shoots at a decent enough rate to earn a partially-guaranteed contract with the 76ers last summer. However, Burke was unable to contribute meaningful minutes to the 76ers bench, and he was waived in February.

 

Burke was signed by Dallas as a replacement player to play in Orlando, and ended up playing the best basketball of his career, as Rick Carlisle continues to elevate the play of his point guards (as long as their name is not Rajon Rondo). He was a real scoring threat for the Mavs, and showed the ability to create his own shot at multiple levels. Teams may still have their doubts about Burke considering it was a small sample size of success, and some of the shotmaking in the bubble may not be sustainable once the league gets back to normal.

 

Burke has shown improved body control around the rim, as his finishing in his early days in Utah doomed his offensive value, but he still is below average in that area. Burke has also never been a plus-defender, partly due to his size. However, he showed real improvement, especially from an effort standpoint, during the playoffs. 

Cap Considerations

Burke was waived by the 76ers in February and while he did sign a contract with Dallas as a replacement player in Orlando, the Mavericks will not have any form of Bird rights for Burke. As such, Burke will enter free agency as if he never signed the contract with Dallas, and the Mavericks will either need to use cap space or their MLE to re-sign him, or have Burke return on a minimum contract. Burke likely played himself into a contract above the minimum, but there's a chance teams still see him only as a minimum-contract player.

Potential Teams: Mavericks, Hawks, Suns, Magic, Clippers

Predicted Contract: 1-year, $3.5 million with the Mavericks

Actual Contract: 3-year, $10 million (3rd year player option, 7.5% trade bonus) with the Mavericks

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Burke got similar value to what I expected, and he did well by getting a player option and a trade bonus. He should also benefit by staying with the team and coach where he has had the most success in his career.

Last updated: 12/31/2020

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