Toronto Raptors: Could free agent Alec Burks be a bargain for the Raptors?

The Toronto Raptors might be on the fringes of the playoffs in what has been a difficult season to get through, but Masai Ujiri could be gearing up to make some bigger additions in the offseason. Stealing from a division rival could be a nice strategy to follow, as New York Knicks guard Alec Burks could hit the open market soon.

After the Colorado star started off his career the No. 12 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz, he spent the last few seasons as either a scorer on some bad teams or a non-factor on some good ones. This year, where he linked up with Tom Thibodeau and the resurgent Knicks, Burks is playing some fantastic basketball.

Burks is averaging 12.6 points and 4.5 rebounds as New York’s ace sixth man, which could help him cash in during this offseason. If he’s lucky, the Raptors could pounce on him.

Bleacher Report listed Burks as one of their seven best free agent bargains that will be available on the market next offseason. With the Raptors gearing up for a very active offseason, could Burks be added to the mix if Toronto wants to sign two or three contributors to fill out the rest of their bench?

How would Alec Burks help the Toronto Raptors?

The Knicks are a playoff team and in possession of arguably the best defense in the league, but they aren’t the most high-octane offense in the world. Despite that, Burks is in double-figures per game in scoring once again, all the while setting a new personal record for 3-point percentage at nearly 41%.

Burks, who has started just five of the 44 games he’s played in with the Knicks, is clearly comfortable coming off of the bench. The Raptors might lose Kyle Lowry, but re-signing Gary Trent Jr. would mean that four of their five starters for next year will return. They could use some extra shooting off of the bench, however.

Burks came into the league as a spot-up shooter, but he is started to expand his offensive game more in his later years. After evolving into one of the better defensive shooting guards in the game, Burks could be an impact player on both ends for the Raptors without costing an arm and a leg to bring in.

Burks looks like a perfect Ujiri player, as he is a former lottery pick that can play multiple positions and shoot the lights out. If Burks wants to both contend for the postseason and get a healthy volume of shots, potentially becoming the Sixth Man on a revitalized Raptors team could be quite a prudent move for a player who will be 30 by the time next year rolls around.