Alec Burks Reportedly Signing With Warriors After Thunder Let Him Leave
By Will Fowler
After dealing Paul George and Jerami Grant, the Oklahoma City Thunder are faced with a difficult decision: enter a rebuild or try to contend with the players they have on the roster.
The latter seems like a long shot, and it seems as if they're leaning towards rebuilding. Their latest move supports that claim, as they allowed Alec Burks to back out of his deal with the team, and the veteran guard hastily signed with the Golden State Warriors in the aftermath.
Sources: After Paul George trade, Oklahoma City remained committed to its two veteran deals in Mike Muscala and Alec Burks and allowed both to re-evaluate their situations given the unanticipated change. Muscala will remain with the Thunder.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
Muscala, the other newly-acquired veteran who was given the option to back out of his deal, chose to stay with the team. Burks bolted for the exit door however, and the sharpshooter found a new home in The Bay.
Burks' agent, JR Hensley, said that his client was "extremely appreciative about how the Thunder handled the situation."
Guard Alec Burks has agreed to a one-year deal with the Golden State Warriors, agent JR Hensley tells @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium. “Alec was extremely appreciative about how the Thunder handled the situation and he’s looking forward to his new opportunity,” Hensley said.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 8, 2019
It's a respectful move by the Thunder to allow Burks to explore deals elsewhere, as locking him into a one-year deal while completely blowing up the roster probably would've left Burks' camp feeling a little bit trapped.
In 68 games last season, Burks averaged 8.8 points and 3.7 rebounds in 21.5 minutes. He shot 36.3% from beyond the arc, and has a career clip of 35.3% from deep.