Brandon Knight Traded To Phoenix Suns In Three Team Deal
The Phoenix Suns have bolstered their back court by acquiring guard Brandon Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks as part of a three team, five player trade, as first reported by Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports.
Milwaukee has traded guard Brandon Knight to Phoenix, league sources tell Yahoo Sports.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) February 19, 2015
The Suns also acquired guard Kendall Marshal, who will be waived, while the Bucks acquired guard Tyler Ennis, forward Miles Plumlee, and guard Michael-Carter Williams, with the Sixers receiving the Los Angeles Lakers 2015 first round pick, as noted by the Suns in a press release.
Knight, 23, is enjoying the best season of his four-year career. He is averaging 17.8 points, 5.4 assists, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 steals, and shooting.435% from the field. All of those numbers are career highs for the former University of Kentucky standout. Knight has also shown tremendous durability, as he played in all of the Bucks 52 games this season. His performance helped elevate a Milwaukee Bucks team that only managed to win 15 games a year ago.
The 6’7? guard spent the first two seasons of his career in the motor city with the Detroit Piston. A four player deal in the summer of 2013 sent Knight to Bucks, along with Viacheslav Kravtsov and Khris Middleton for Brandon Jennings. With a great ability to contribute on both sides of the ball, the former eight overall pick in the 2011 draft will shore up the Suns’ roster after the team traded Isiah Thomas to the Celtics and Gordan Dragic to the Heat.
As for the Bucks, they receive the 23-year-old point guard Williams, who had been arguably the player for the abysmal Sixers team. He is averaging 15 points, 7.4 assists, and 1.6 steals a game. The trade apparently caught Williams by surprise.
I can’t lie I’m shocked. I love this city thank you for everything. I can honestly say I gave it my all. I wish Philly nothing but the best
— Michael Carter-Willi (@MCW1) February 19, 2015
Plumee, 26 and Ennis, 20, figure to help Milwaukee off the bench. Miles, the older brother of Mason Plumee, was averaging just 4.3 points and 3.3 rebounds off the bench for the Suns. Meanwhile, the first-year guard Ennis managed to see action in just eight games for the Suns this season.
The Sixers will receive the Los Angeles Lakers’ protected 2015 first round draft pick from the Suns. Phoenix originally acquired that pick from the Lakers back in 2012 as part of the sign-and-trade that netted the team legendary point guard Steve Nash.
Overall, this trade plays out well for all parties involved. The Suns acquired Knight, a player in his breakout season and on the cusp of being an All-Star. The Bucks acquired a talented young guard and two useful pieces off the bench. And the Sixers receive a first round draft pick, something has been long coveted by teams around the league.
[Image by Andy Lyons/Getty Images]
