Suns Rumors: Brandon Knight Piquing Interest Of Sacramento Kings
Phoenix Suns Rumors: Could Brandon Knight be on his way to the Sacramento Kings this season?
Phoenix Suns rumors are beginning to pop up as we head towards the end of 2016. With every day we get closer to the NBA trade deadline, the more rumors will begin to heat up.
One player to keep an eye on is Suns’ guard Brandon Knight.
Knight is reportedly not on the trade block, yet his name continues to pop up around NBA rumor circles.
In November, general manager Ryan McDonough said as much as a guest on Burns and Gumbo’s radio show on Arizona Sports 98.7 FM.
“We’re certainly not looking to move Brandon, we haven’t been close to trading Brandon,” he said. McDonough also added, “I think he’d love to be starting, we understand that. He’s accepted the role very well. I think you guys will see him go on a run here.”
Trade speculation as involved Knight for a while because he is unhappy with his role on the Suns. With Eric Bledsoe and Devin Booker locked into starting spots, Knight has been pushed to the bench.
It is a role his skill set may ultimately be destined for, but he would prefer to be in the starting lineup.
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As a result, he could be someone that gets moved despite what McDonough said last month. One of the teams to keep an eye on are the Sacramento Kings.
The Kings have had an up-and-down season thus far with a record of 13-17. They are currently holding down the eighth spot in the Western Conference and could have some tough decisions to make in the coming weeks.
DeMarcus Cousins rumors will always persist with the Kings, and they have to make a decision about what to do with Rudy Gay. Gay has said that he will decline his 2017-18 option and become a free agent this summer.
Not only will he opt out, he is unlikely to return to Sacramento.
Will the Kings move Gay and try to get something in return so they can improve their future outlook and not lose Gay for nothing in the offseason? Or will they hold onto him and try making a postseason push? If they acquire a player such as Knight, they would accomplish both.
While on the Lowe Podcast this past week, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst shared some rumors that he has heard around the league. One rumor was the Suns trading Knight to the Kings. It is something the Kings have been looking into for a while now, according to Windhorst.
“It’s hard to read Sacramento. Sacramento talks a lot, but then never does anything, so Sacramento’s very frustrating to people,” Windhorst said. “I know that Sacramento has been talking to Phoenix about Brandon Knight since the summer. Will that ultimately get done? I don’t know, but it’s out there.”
If the Kings were able to swing a deal for Knight it would be a good addition. They have found success with small-ball lineups recently, so acquiring another player that can play both backcourt spots would help.
Also, he gives the Kings another scoring threat should Gay be on the move, but also a building block for the future.
A big problem in Sacramento in recent years is their inability to get consistent play at point guard. Rajon Rondo rejuvenated his career with the Kings in 2015-16 but left as a free agent after one season. They could be facing more upheaval the position this offseason as well.
Both Darren Collison and Ty Lawson are set to become free agents. Getting someone that is locked in for multiple seasons to run the show would help the organization get some continuity and cohesion on the roster.
Knight is signed through the 2019-20 season and is owed $56.5 million over that time span. That is not too bad a contract for a 25-year old still looking to find his way in the NBA.
Sacramento has not been great at developing talent, but Knight could just use a scenery change and chance to get consistent minutes to get his career back on track.
