Last Updated on July 28, 2026 by Mat Diekhake

Trey Burke was a skilled NBA point guard whose pull-up shooting, pick-and-roll scoring, and creative ball handling made him an instant-offense backcourt option for the Utah Jazz, New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, and other teams. A scoring-focused lead guard, Burke blended deep shooting range, shot creation, and playmaking to provide valuable offensive spark in both starting and reserve roles.

Here is the detailed profile of Trey Burke:

Player Profile

  • Full Name: Alfonso Clark “Trey” Burke III
  • Nationality: American
  • Age: Born on November 12, 1992
  • Hometown: Columbus, Ohio, USA
  • Height: 6 feet 0 inches (1.83 meters)
  • Weight: 185 pounds (84 kg)
  • Wingspan: 6 feet 5 inches (1.96 meters)
  • Shoe Size: Size 10 (US)
  • Number: 3, 23, 33
  • Position: Point guard
  • High School: Northland High School (Columbus, Ohio)
  • College: University of Michigan (2011–2013)
  • NBA Draft: 2013, 1st round, 9th overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves (rights traded to the Utah Jazz)
  • Teams Played For:
    • Utah Jazz (2013–2016)
    • Washington Wizards (2016–2017)
    • New York Knicks (2018–2019)
    • Dallas Mavericks (2019, 2020–2022)
    • Philadelphia 76ers (2019–2020)
    • Detroit Pistons (2023–present)
  • Championship Rings: None
  • Kids: Has a son and a daughter.
  • Siblings: Trey has two siblings: Amber Burke and Travis Burke.
  • College Career: Burke was a standout player at the University of Michigan, where he won the Naismith College Player of the Year Award and led the Wolverines to the 2013 NCAA Championship game.
  • NBA Career: Known for his scoring and playmaking, Burke has been a reliable backup point guard and occasional starter throughout his NBA career.
  • Personal Life: Burke is a devout Christian and has spoken openly about his faith.

Player Archetype / Play Style

Trey Burke’s player archetype is that of a score-first lead guard: a small, crafty point guard who can run offense, create off the dribble, and generate pull-up shooting, but whose size limits his defensive ceiling. Offensively, he has long been valued for his ball-handling, court vision, and ability to make plays with the ball, while his scoring style leans on perimeter creation, change-of-pace drives, and tough shotmaking rather than power or length at the rim. Physically, Burke is undersized for the position at roughly 6-foot-1 and around 190 pounds, and that lack of size and top-end explosiveness has consistently been cited as a challenge on the defensive end against bigger, quicker NBA guards. His overall play style is best summed up as poised, shifty, and offense-oriented: a guard who can organize possessions and get his own shot, but who profiles more as an attacking, skill-based creator than a disruptive defender. (nbadraft.net)

Scouting Report

Trey Burke has always been at his best when the ball is in his hands and the defence is forced to react to his decisions rather than his size. The interesting thing is how comfortable he is manipulating bigs in pick-and-rolls. He’ll hesitate just enough to freeze the screener’s defender, snake the dribble back into the middle and create a pocket for a pull-up jumper or a late pass once the low man finally commits. His shooting range stretches coverages well beyond the arc, and when defenders chase over screens too aggressively, he’s quick to stop on a dime instead of forcing his way all the way to the rim. That’s where he does much of his damage. What limits him is what happens after that first advantage disappears. Bigger defenders can contest his release without giving much ground, and length around the basket often forces him into difficult floaters or high-arcing finishes because he doesn’t consistently create clean separation in traffic. Defensively, Burke competes and understands where he should be within team schemes, but size inevitably affects certain matchups. Stronger guards can dislodge him on drives, and teams frequently involve him in screening actions to generate switches or force help rotations. To me, his ideal role is as a secondary creator who can orchestrate bench units, punish conservative drop coverage and inject scoring without carrying an offence possession after possession. Pair him with larger defensive-minded wings who can absorb the toughest perimeter assignments and allow him to focus on creating advantages with the ball. His game shares obvious similarities with Jameer Nelson because of the blend of pull-up shooting and pick-and-roll craft, while there are flashes of Isaiah Thomas in the confidence to attack much bigger defenders, even if the physical limitations create many of the same defensive trade-offs.

Sources:

Bleacher Report — Best-Case, Worst-Case NBA Comparisons for Michigan’s Trey Burke
Bleacher Report — 10 Stars of the NBA’s Next Generation
NBADraft.net — Extended NBA Mock Draft 7.1
Bleacher Report — NBA Draft Scouting Guide to the 2013 NCAA Final Four
ESPN — Andrew Wiggins, Dante Exum top mock NBA front office draft