Alec Burks Injury: Updates on Jazz Guard's Recovery from Shoulder Surgery

Utah Jazz guard Alec Burks has not yet been cleared for contact as he continues to recover from a midseason shoulder surgery.

Continue for updates.

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Burks "Feeling Really Good" But Not Ready for Action

Tuesday, July 14

Despite a video circulating depicting Burks going through a gym workout, the shooting guard told Jody Genessy of the Deseret News that he has not yet been cleared to play. Burks says the video going around was actually "a couple of years old."    

The Jazz shut Burks down just 27 games into 2014-15 after he was plagued by left shoulder soreness. The shoulder had bothered him since college, but he'd been able to play three full seasons without much incident. He was averaging 13.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists per game before the injury, stepping into a full-time starters role for the first time.

Utah will be banking on Burks coming back at full strength. He'll be entering the first year of a four-year, $42 million extension that looked like a surprising overpay at the time but should slot nicely into the cap going forward. The going rate for players across the NBA is going up, and Burks is a 6'6" athletic guard with ball-handling skills and an improving three-point stroke.

"Our best free agent is Alec Burks," general manager Dennis Lindsey said last month, per the Canadian Press (via TSN.ca). "It's like he's a new addition. We're very excited that his progression with his shoulder injury has gone without any hiccups. ... It's almost like he needs to be reintroduced to Quin and the coaches system."

The Jazz were one of the most surprising stories of the NBA's second half last season, posting a 19-10 record after the All-Star break thanks to an elite defensive effort. Burks at the very least should help goose the sometimes-stagnant offensive effort next season.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.