NBA Utah Jazz

Alec Burks Extension Raises Questions About Future Of Jazz Backcourt

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By @TheSizzle20

Alec Burks

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As the Utah Jazz are starting what is likely to be another unsuccessful NBA season while they continue to rebuild, they locked up another piece for their future. Having already locked up Derrick Favors and Gordon Hayward to big deals, the Jazz curiously signed guard Alec Burks to a four-year, $42 million extension on Friday.

Looking solely at the production of Burks, it’s not hard to understand why the Jazz would want to sign him to an extension before Friday’s deadline. He’s coming off the best season of his career last year where he averaged 14 points, 2.7 assists and 3.3 rebounds in 28.1 minutes per game while shooting 45.7 percent from the floor and 35 percent from three. Burks has quickly established himself as an offensive spark for this Jazz team.

What makes the extension somewhat questionable, though, is how the extension could potentially affect the shaping of the rest of their extremely young backcourt. The Jazz have used their last two lottery picks to add to their backcourt, selecting Trey Burke and Dante Exum in 2013 and 2014, respectively.

The questioning of the extension is hardly an indictment on Burks as a player; to establish this again, Burks is a solid piece that team should want to have around as they build towards their future.

The issue with the agreement is the fact that it doesn’t send a positive message to guys like Burke and Exum. Despite the fact that the two players have one season collectively played in the NBA and haven’t really had the chance to develop, the organization is essentially saying that Burks is their future before either of the other two players have fully had the chance to prove what they can be at this level.

Obviously the Jazz can still lock-up Burke and Exum in the future when the time comes for those discussions, but it’s just a strange decision right now for the Jazz to give Burks that kind of money with the organization at this point of their rebuilding process. It could wind up being just another signing, but it’s curious at the least where we currently stand with this team.

Cody Williams is a Senior Writer with Rant Sports. Follow Cody on Twitter @TheSizzle20, add him on Google and like his Facebook page.

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