The Alec Burks era in Cleveland will go down as a short one.
Not as short, however, as Nik Stauskas and Wade Baldwin's time with the team.
According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Cavaliers have agreed to a 3-team trade with the Houston Rockets and Sacramento Kings ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. Cleveland will send Burks to the Kings and Stauskas and Baldwin to Houston in exchange for the Rockets' lottery protected 2019 first-round pick, point guard Brandon Knight and forward Marquese Chriss.
As a part of the trade, former Cavs guard Iman Shumpert is headed to Houston from the Kings.
All three of the players traded by Cleveland were initially acquired by the team earlier this season. Stauskas and Baldwin had yet to make their Cavs debuts after joining the team in a trade with the Portland Trail Blazers involving Rodney Hood earlier this week, while Burks came to Cleveland as a part of the deal that sent Kyle Korver to the Utah Jazz in November.
In 34 games with the Cavs -- including 24 starts -- the 27-year-old Burks averaged 11.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.9 assists.
Cleveland's latest deal follows the blueprint of the rebuilding strategy the team has adopted following the offseason departure of LeBron James. Although the Cavs will take on more salary in the deal, with Knight owed $15.6 million next season, the team has prioritized adding future draft picks, with a premium being placed on first-round selections.
Now in his seventh season in the league, the 27-year-old Knight has averaged 3.0 points in 12 games with the Rockets this season. A former All-Rookie selection, the 6-foot-10 Chriss has averaged just 1.8 points in 16 appearances for Houston after being acquired in an offseason trade with the Phoenix Suns.
The NBA's trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m.
