Former Cavs guard blames NBA politics for inconsistent role Alec Burks had on Knicks

Quinn Cook — who appeared in seven games for the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2020-21 regular season — said on X (previously Twitter) that Alec Burks never got an opportunity to receive consistent minutes for the New York Knicks because of NBA politics.

Cook averaged 6.1 points, 1.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 0.4 steals per game on 40.5 percent shooting from the field and 46.2 percent from 3-point range in his single season in Cleveland.

Prior to Game 3 of New York’s second-round series against the Indiana Pacers, Burks hardly saw the floor during the 2024 NBA Playoffs. But in the final five games of the series, Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau decided to insert Burks into the team’s rotation, and the 32-year-old made the most of his opportunities.

During that span, Burks averaged a solid 17.8 points per contest. He also scored 20 points or more in two of the five games, as he dropped 20 points in New York’s Game 4 loss and 26 points while shooting 8-of-13 from the field and 2-of-5 from deep in Game 7.

But Burks’ scoring punch wasn’t enough to earn the Knicks their first appearance in the Eastern Conference Finals since 2000, considering New York lost Game 7 at Madison Square Garden by 21 points thanks to an incredible collective scoring display from the Pacers, who totaled 130 points on 67.1 percent accuracy from the floor.

The Knicks acquired Burks along with Bojan Bogdanovic from the Detroit Pistons back in February in exchange for Evan Fournier, Malachi Flynn, Quentin Grimes, Ryan Arcidiacono, cash considerations and a pair of second-round picks.

Burks has had two separate stints as a member of the iconic Knicks franchise. Prior to being traded to New York earlier this year, the guard spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with the Knicks and helped the team make an appearance in the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

The NBA journeyman is set to hit free agency this summer, so it’s unclear if he will still be a member of the Knicks in the 2024-25 season. But considering the impact Burks had on the offensive side of the ball against the Pacers, New York would seemingly be wise to at least consider inking him to a new deal.