The Alec Burks Effect will not be lost on these Warriors

SAN FRANCISCO >> It’s impossible to know how long Alec Burks’ tenure with the Warriors will last. He could opt to return this off-season when he becomes an unrestricted free agent. He could sign elsewhere. He could even become a trade chip for the Warriors later this season.

Regardless of how long Burks’ time with Golden State lasts, the impact he has made on this particular iteration of the Warriors will not soon be forgotten.

Burks, who’s in his ninth NBA season, is currently the Warriors’ only healthy player older than 26. With Golden State’s roster loaded with first-, second- and third-year players, he has been an invaluable resource for the youth movement.

“I love his approach,” said coach Steve Kerr. “No nonsense. No drama. Comes to work every day. Joy to be around. The young guys look up to him.”

It’s not just the length of Burks’ career that makes him so qualified to play the role of leader, although that is a significant part of the equation. Rather, Burks, 28, notes that he has “seen everything in the NBA,” for better and for worse.

In October 2014, Burks signed a four-year, $42 million extension with the Utah Jazz. At one point, he thought he’d be there longterm, but injuries derailed

Burks’ upwards trajectory right as he began to enter his prime.

Two months after signing that extension, Burks suffered a season-ending shoulder injury. Over the next two seasons, he played 73 combined games due to various ailments.

Burks’ return to health coincided with the beginning of the Donovan Mitchell-era in Utah. With Mitchell taking center stage and Utah assembling a litany of wings, Burks received fewer and fewer minutes.

Last season, Burks was traded twice, bouncing from Utah to Cleveland to Sacramento. With the Kings, Burks averaged less than 10 minutes per game and received a slew of DNPs.