After a messy divorce from the Utah Jazz, an underwhelming stint with the Washington Wizards and a brief study in the G-League, the end seemed near for the career of Trey Burke.

Now a starter for the New York Knicks, Burke is finally beginning to look like the player he was supposed to be.

Michigan Wolverines

The potential has always existed within the 25-year-old point guard.

While at Northland High School, in Columbus, Burke was named the 2011 Ohio Mr. Basketball, leading the Vikings to a 97-5 record in his four years with the team.

Burke drew interest from a number of schools, but ultimately decided to commit to play for the University of Michigan.

#Facts: Burke, a four-star recruit (ESPN), was coveted by Providence, the University of Miami (FL), the University of Iowa, the University of Cincinnati and Penn State University. He verbally committed to Penn State, before choosing Michigan.

As a true freshman, Burke averaged 14.8 PPG and 4.6 APG, earning the honor of Big Ten Freshman of the Year. In his sophomore season, he averaged 18.6 PPG and 6.7 APG, earning him Big Ten Player of the Year honors, as he led the star-studded Wolverines to an NCAA Championship appearance.

With 24 points, Burke was the game’s leading scorer, but the team was unable to come up with a victory, falling to the Louisville Cardinals 76-82 (Louisville’s title was vacated on June 15, 2017 due to a prostitution scandal involving players and recruits).

NBA Draft

In the weeks following the big game, Burke declared for the 2013 NBA Draft. A strong showing at the NBA Combine made him the favorite among analysts to become the first overall pick.

“Burke might not have the prototypical physical attributes of an NBA superstar,” ESPN analyst David Thorpe said. “But if the team that lands the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft does not have its long-term point guard already in place, it should select Burke without hesitation.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up with the pick, subsequently wasting it on draft bust Anthony Bennett.

Burke would have to wait until the ninth pick to be taken by the Minnesota Timberwolves, who then traded him to the Utah Jazz for picks used on Shabazz Muhammad and Gorgui Dieng.

Utah Jazz

His rookie season was chocked full of career-highs.

Burke started 68 games, averaging 12.8 PPG on 38% from the field and 33% from three, in 70 appearances. He also averaged 5.7 APG and 3.0 RPG, finishing third in Rookie of the Year voting, after Michael Carter-Williams and Victor Oladipo.

The Jazz struggled to find victories, however, and following a 25-57 record, head coach Tyrone Crawford was fired. Quin Snyder was brought in to replace Crawford, and the Jazz took Australian PG Dante Exum with the fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft.

In the 2014-2015 season, Burke matched his rookie scoring output with 12.8 PPG, but his shooting dropped to 36.8% from the field and 31.8% from beyond the arc. Burke was primed to reclaim his starting role, following Exum’s torn ACL prior to the 2015 season, but Snyder decided instead to install Brazilian pass-first PG Raulzinho “Raul” Neto into the starting lineup.

Burke managed to both outscore and out-assist Neto, coming off the bench, but it wasn’t enough to win the favor of Snyder.

Washington Wizards

In the 2016 off-season, the Jazz sent Burke to the Washington Wizards for a 2021 second-round pick.

He was expected to pace All-Star PG John Wall in Washington, but after the Wizards signed Brandon Jennings, his minutes and stats hit an all-time low.

The Wizards chose not to extend a qualifying offer to Burke, allowing him to become an unrestricted free agent.

2017 Off-Season

The Oklahoma City Thunder reached an agreement with Burke on a non-guaranteed contract, but he decided to back out of the deal and remain a free agent.

He then signed with the New York Knicks, but was waived three days later.

Westchester Knicks

Just after the start of the 2018 season, Burke reached a deal with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA’s G-League.

Almost every night, Burke was the star of the show, averaging 26.6 PPG, 5.3 APG and 3.3 RPG, in 26 appearances. He also set a Westchester Knicks record with 43 points in a single game, and was named the G-League Performer of the Month for December.

New York Knicks

On January 14, Burke signed with the New York Knicks for the remainder of the season. Coming off the bench, he regularly scored in the double-digits and demonstrated his ability as a facilitator.

He finally cracked the starting lineup on March 25, scoring 19 points and dishing out three assists in a 101-97 win over his former team, the Wizards. The next night, Burke set a career-high in scoring with 42 points in a 128-137 loss to the Hornets in overtime, and on March 31, he tied a career-high with 15 assists in a 109-115 loss to the Detroit Pistons.

#Facts: Since earning the starting spot, Burke is averaging 22.4 PPG and 8.0 APG. If Burke continues to put up these numbers, he could be looking at a big payday in free agency.

What’s Next for Trey Burke?

Burke has found success as the starting PG for the Knicks, but the team may have other plans for the future. New York selected Frank Ntilikina with the eighth overall pick in the 2017, and traded for Emmanuel Mudiay, the seventh overall pick in 2015, at the trade deadline.

A return to New York isn’t out of the question, but Burke could be the odd man out.

If Burke wants to start, his best options would be:

The Orlando Magic

The Magic have been starting 30-year-old D.J. Augustin, since trading Elfrid Payton to the Suns.

Augustin isn’t a bad option, but he’d be better coming off the bench.

The Magic currently rank 22nd in scoring, so adding Burke would be a significant upgrade.

The Phoenix Suns

The Suns are going nowhere fast, as the team is close to wrapping up the worst record in the NBA this season.

A frustrated Eric Bledsoe was traded to the Bucks earlier in the year, and Elfrid Payton is not a scorer.

Phoenix has a very young core, but it could look to add Burke as a proven scoring option to pair with star SG Devin Booker.

The New Orleans Pelicans

With DeMarcus Cousins and Anthony Davis, the Pelicans boast one of the best front courts in the NBA, but the backcourt leaves much to be desired.

Even at 32, Rajon Rondo is still one of the best facilitators in the league, but Burke’s youth, playmaking and scoring ability could move Rondo to a bench role.

If Burke is willing to take a backup role, his best fits would be:

The Houston Rockets

This might be the best overall fit for Burke.

The Rockets run an up-tempo offense with a team philosophy that revolves around scoring.

Chris Paul has been hampered with injuries this season, and James Harden works better as a SG.

Burke would give the Rockets another talented ball-handler and facilitator. He could also learn a lot from Chris Paul, and potentially thrive in Houston.

The Miami Heat

Goran Dragic is 31 and the Heat have been using Tyler Johnson and Dwyane Wade as their backup PGs, so they could be aiming to add a better (and younger) option behind Dragic.

Miami has former Michigan PG Derrick Walton Jr. on a two-way contract, but could decide to let him go if it has a more proven option like Burke.

The Heat rank 24th in scoring this season, and could use an offensive spark off the bench.

The Detroit Pistons

Reggie Jackson has mired through injuries the past two seasons, and the Pistons have had to suffer through subpar guard play.

Jackson’s return had Detroit on a five-game winning streak, but it proved to be too little, too late as the Pistons, who fell to the Philadelphia 76ers 108-115 on Wednesday, were statistically eliminated from the playoffs.

#Facts: Had the Pistons signed Burke in the off-season, they might have had a better shot at the postseason, especially with the addition of Blake Griffin, and stellar play of Andre Drummond. Detroit also passed on Burke in the 2013 draft, opting to draft Georgia G Kentavious Caldwell-Pope with the eighth overall pick.

Given Jackson’s injury history, it would be foolish for the Pistons to ignore an obvious position of need.

Not The End

Other teams that may be interested in Burke include: the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings, the Dallas Mavericks, the San Antonio Spurs and the Chicago Bulls.

Needless to say, wherever he ends up next year, Burke’s play in the latter half of this season may have rescued his career.