Suns' Hornacek says Knight should've gone as high No. 4 in 2011 draft
The Suns shook up their backcourt significantly at the trade deadline last season, sending both Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas out of town while bringing back Brandon Knight, who would enter this summer as a restricted free agent.
Despite being limited to just 11 appearances with the Suns due to injury, Phoenix was confident in its decision, and inked Knight to a deal worth $70 million over the next five seasons.
As the Suns re-introduced Knight to the media, head coach Jeff Hornacek couldn't have been more pleased, and said Knight's talent level was strong enough that he could have been selected as high has fourth overall in the 2011 NBA Draft.
Coach Hornacek says Knight should've gone as high as No. 4 in the 2011 @NBA Draft. "One!" ~ @Goodknight11 laughs pic.twitter.com/TRnJFbGbfa
— #WeArePHX (@Suns) July 20, 2015
Hindsight is always 20-20 where the draft is concerned, and Knight's case is no different. He ended up going eighth overall, so it's not as though teams slept on him completely. Kyrie Irving rightfully went No. 1, Enes Kanter went third, and Tristan Thompson went fourth -- all of which are justifiable selections to this day.
Knight would have an argument at two, because that's where the Timberwolves selected Derrick Williams, who to this point has been labeled as a bust.
But honestly, none of that matters now. The Suns are happy with locking up Knight on a contract for the foreseeable future, and Hornacek was merely laying it on a bit thick while excitedly talking up his new player's talents.
(h/t: Phoenix Suns on Twitter)
Photo Credit: Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports
