When guard Alec Burks signed with the Miami Heat on July 4th, no one really blinked.

The 1.90 meter tall veteran guard has been traveling between NBA teams for 12 seasons.

Burks is already proving to be an underrated signing, having once again started in place of the injured Tyler Herro in the preseason opener against the Charlotte Hornets.

He scored eight points and made all three of his shot attempts within 15 minutes. His performance on defense was even more promising, where he finished with two steals and two blocks. If he can continue to play good minutes and be effective on both ends of the court, it’s realistic to secure a significant role.

Throughout his time in the league, Burks was a solid scorer and three-point shooter, averaging 10.8 points and 3.4 rebounds on 41.5 percent shooting and 38.3 percent from three-point range.

With the losses of Max Strus and Caleb Martin over the past two seasons, the Heat needed a player to provide an offensive spark off the bench. Especially Herro in the starting line-up.

Before his season-ending shoulder injury, Josh Richardson’s job was to lose. We haven’t seen Richardson in action yet as he isn’t fully back in training yet. Burks was the opposite.

Burks will return to the bench with Herro healthy again. Last season, he ranked third in the league in players who averaged less than 20 minutes per game and scored the most points off the bench, followed by Cam Whitmore and Moritz Wagner with 10.4 points per game.

Bryan Townes contributes to Miami Heat On SI. He can be reached at [email protected] or on X @bryantownesjr11. Follow our reporting on Facebook.