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Clearly, the Knicks don’t want to see one of their own being snatched up by another team.
According to Shams Charania, NBA insider for Yahoo Sports, he dropped a tweet earlier describing the situation between Trey Burke and the New York Knicks:
Sources: The New York Knicks and Trey Burke of G League Westchester are in serious talks on a deal, with the guard expected to be held out of the showcase and an agreement as soon as the weekend.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 8, 2018
This a case of “we got first dibs” on a player.
Burke has been torching the G-League this season. He’s averaging 26.6 points per game, 5.3 assists per game, 2.0 steals per game, and he’s shooting nearly 50% from the field and 42% from the land of plenty.
Currently, the Knicks are in the bottom five in points scored from the point guard position, and the Knicks could afford to have another player coming off the bench who can provide some well needed scoring pop besides Michael Beasley. Also, Burke could help the Knicks in the three-point department since the Knicks don’t have many guys who can make the three on a consistent basis.
With the G-League Showcase coming up, the Knicks didn’t want other NBA scouts to see Burke in action. More than likely, Burke would have been picked up quicker than a cheetah chasing down its prey for dinner.
Burke would be a welcome addition to a Knicks squad searching for extra scoring in the backcourt.