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Phoenix Suns: 10 Potential Trades As Sellers Before 2017 NBA Trade Deadline

By Gerald Bourguet

Jan 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) and center Tyson Chandler (4) run up the court in the first half of the NBA game against the Miami Heat at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 3, 2017; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Eric Bledsoe (2) and center Tyson Chandler (4) run up the court in the first half of the NBA game against the Miami Heat at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns won 99-90. Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /
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Phoenix Suns
Dec 26, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight reacts in the second half against the Philadelphia 76ers at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The 76ers defeated the Suns 111-104. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

2. Dumping Knight On The Nets

The problem with most of the teams that would be interested in Brandon Knight is that they’re mostly barren of trade assets. The Brooklyn Nets are no different, even if they can offer any of their younger, minimum salary players because of all the cap space they could use to absorb Knight’s deal.

Thanks to the 2013 Kevin Garnett/Paul Pierce trade that robbed Brooklyn of its future draft picks, this franchise has no incentive to tank over the next few seasons. The Nets have targeted young players to swing for the fences in the meantime, and with Jeremy Lin banged up, they could use a 25-year-old combo guard like Knight.

The problem is unless general manager Ryan McDonough wants to take a swing on a young player putting up good numbers on a bad team, it’s hard to see what would interest the Suns. The Nets don’t have a future first-rounder to offer (nor should they offer one for Knight anyway), and they also owe other teams their second round pick in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Barring a Suns salary dump for an expiring contract like Randy Foye, the Nets make little sense as a trade partner — unless they’re willing to surrender someone like Chris McCullough, Joe Harris or Sean Kilpatrick.

Rondae Hollis-Jefferson would be off limits, but with Kilpatrick playing so well for the Nets right now, this might be a prime opportunity for them to leverage his current trade value into more backcourt talent.

Kilpatrick is averaging 13.5 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game on .417/.351/.838 shooting splits, but before his superior numbers make this deal seem lopsided in Phoenix’s favor, keep in mind that Knight has been coming off the bench and has more talent detracting from his numbers than Kilpatrick does.

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The Suns would get to take a chance on a 26-year-old shooting guard and get Knight’s contract off the books, while the Nets would add more talent to a backcourt that desperately needs it.

If Kilpatrick is too much for the Nets to give up with the way he’s playing right now, the alternatives are Joe Harris (a 25-year-old small forward shooting 38.7 percent from three-point range) or Chris McCullough (a rarely used, 22-year-old freak athlete who would’ve been a lottery pick in 2015 if not for an ACL tear in college).

Neither are great returns for Knight, but if the trade market is as drier than expected, getting a young third-stringer with upside might be as good as it gets for a rebuilding franchise.

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