Featured Post: The impossible task? Rehabbing Brandon Knight’s value.

[Zelaznyrules]

D'Antoni would hate Knight. He's like a very poor man's Marbury, who he wouldn't even play once he got to NY.

I don't see all that many similarities between Marbury and Knight, or at least their situations. Marbury was a much more effective player and while he wasn't the smartest guard in the league, he understood the game much better than Brandon probably ever will. But by the time Mike got to New York, Marbury was a fractured soul.

He'd lost his "best friend' (father) and he'd had a well publicized feud with every coach he played for there not to mention the media circus surrounding his relationship with Thomas. Barkley and Webber were routinely mocking D'antoni and his system at that time and Marbury took those criticisms as gospel and absolutely refused to play the way Mike wanted him to. Which left Mike little choice but to bench him and forget him.

Maybe it would go the same way between Brandon and D'antoni, but Knight, after how he's been treated by Shaq and others, must by now realize how foolish it is to listen to those talking head clowns even if they are former players. Those guys are out there trying to fill up their almost empty ego buckets and that's far more important to them than providing unbiased analysis of the game of basketball.

Marbury could still play very well at that time. Knight doesn't move the ball well enough and dribbles too much for D'Antoni. He would hate him as a PG and as much as I hoped he would accept the role of spot up shooter, it's not in his nature. D'Antoni would hate him.

Maybe. He'd certainly hate the Knight we've seen. But I can't escape the fact that others saw something of value in Brandon before he landed in Phoenix. We've seen almost nothing of that since he's been here but who's to say that Mike can't find the Knight that's been MIA for a couple of years now.

[Zelaznyrules]

BK ideally needs to play next to an oversized PG like MCW/ Shaun Livingston. That's why I think he'd be best in a place like Chicago.

I'd easily do Knight for Rondo's expiring + pick, or some form of pick swap. Maybe we get a late teens pick for PJ and TC, then swap it with CHI for the SAC pick (late lotto)?

There might be a deal available with Chicago but I wouldn't put much effort into acquiring that pick from Sacramento. It becomes a 2nd rounder this season if Sacramento ends up picking no worse than 10th and that's fairly likely I'd think.

[nevetsov]

BK ideally needs to play next to an oversized PG like MCW/ Shaun Livingston. That's why I think he'd be best in a place like Chicago.

I'd easily do Knight for Rondo's expiring + pick, or some form of pick swap. Maybe we get a late teens pick for PJ and TC, then swap it with CHI for the SAC pick (late lotto)?

There might be a deal available with Chicago but I wouldn't put much effort into acquiring that pick from Sacramento. It becomes a 2nd rounder this season if Sacramento ends up picking no worse than 10th and that's fairly likely I'd think.

I thought Philly had the right to pick swap if it was 1-10, and Chicago owned it if it was 11-30. I figure it will land around 12.

If it didn't convey, we could take Chicago's pick instead, or a future pick.

[RedIndian]

Bobby Portis has had his playing time really restricted under Hoiberg.

Maybe the Bulls would be willing to do Knight for Rondo + Portis.

I rate Portis highly - more so than Chriss. Think he has the potential to be a Millsap type player.

[lilfishi22]

Bobby Portis has had his playing time really restricted under Hoiberg.

Maybe the Bulls would be willing to do Knight for Rondo + Portis.

I rate Portis highly - more so than Chriss. Think he has the potential to be a Millsap type player.

I've mentioned this before but I rated Portis highly beforethe draft. I was hoping we would make a play for a late 1st to grab Portis but I don't think that would've been viable since he went 22nd. I thought Chicago did well taking him that late in the draft. While I think having a sophomore who already has some experience under his belt makes sense for this already very young team but with Chriss and Bender already in the wings, I think having that Chicago pick would give us more flexibility to build the foundations of a future contender. Unless we moved Chriss or Bender, I think adding another 4 would just cause confusion.

So I'm still in favor of moving Knight for Rondo (assuming he never actually sets foot in Phx) but I'm leaning more towards the pick over Portis.

[AtheJ415]

Bobby Portis has had his playing time really restricted under Hoiberg.

Maybe the Bulls would be willing to do Knight for Rondo + Portis.

I rate Portis highly - more so than Chriss. Think he has the potential to be a Millsap type player.

I've mentioned this before but I rated Portis highly beforethe draft. I was hoping we would make a play for a late 1st to grab Portis but I don't think that would've been viable since he went 22nd. I thought Chicago did well taking him that late in the draft. While I think having a sophomore who already has some experience under his belt makes sense for this already very young team but with Chriss and Bender already in the wings, I think having that Chicago pick would give us more flexibility to build the foundations of a future contender. Unless we moved Chriss or Bender, I think adding another 4 would just cause confusion.

So I'm still in favor of moving Knight for Rondo (assuming he never actually sets foot in Phx) but I'm leaning more towards the pick over Portis.

I agree. Picks generally are better bets because you can then select a guy who fits your system. That said, I'd also take Portis if they weren't willing to take the pick. It's awkward given the ages of all 3, and one probably would end up on the bench and not developing, but Chriss can play some 5 in small lineups and Bender can play the 3-5.

In an ideal world, you want at least 5 bigs who are rotation playable imo. We would have 2 5s, 1 4, 1 4-5, and 1 3-5. That is fine imo.

[bwgood77]

Bobby Portis has had his playing time really restricted under Hoiberg.

Maybe the Bulls would be willing to do Knight for Rondo + Portis.

I rate Portis highly - more so than Chriss. Think he has the potential to be a Millsap type player.

I've mentioned this before but I rated Portis highly beforethe draft. I was hoping we would make a play for a late 1st to grab Portis but I don't think that would've been viable since he went 22nd. I thought Chicago did well taking him that late in the draft. While I think having a sophomore who already has some experience under his belt makes sense for this already very young team but with Chriss and Bender already in the wings, I think having that Chicago pick would give us more flexibility to build the foundations of a future contender. Unless we moved Chriss or Bender, I think adding another 4 would just cause confusion.

So I'm still in favor of moving Knight for Rondo (assuming he never actually sets foot in Phx) but I'm leaning more towards the pick over Portis.

I agree. Picks generally are better bets because you can then select a guy who fits your system. That said, I'd also take Portis if they weren't willing to take the pick. It's awkward given the ages of all 3, and one probably would end up on the bench and not developing, but Chriss can play some 5 in small lineups and Bender can play the 3-5.

In an ideal world, you want at least 5 bigs who are rotation playable imo. We would have 2 5s, 1 4, 1 4-5, and 1 3-5. That is fine imo.

Realistically, what do you think we could get for Knight taking best offer on table this year...not total optimistic, but realistic, thinking of teams that might want him.

[nevetsov]

I don't even know if we could land a Will Barton level guy for BK anymore. Should have taken Gay's expiring when we had the chance.

Still think Chicago makes the most sense for him, though. Next to ball dominant Wade and Butler, he can play the spot up shooting PG role. And when Wade sits, he can play SG next to the 6'6 MCW.

But what else could they offer? Rondo makes sense as expiring salary. Do they have any picks other than the SAC pick?

Knight, MCW, Grant
Wade, Knight, Valentine
Butler, McDermott
Mirotic, Gibson, Portis
Lopez, Gibson

Not a whole lot of fat on that roster.

[bwgood77]

Three days and counting....

[jeff2020]

At this point the only way to get Knight's value back to respectability is to trade Bledsoe and start Knight the rest of this season and next season until the deadline hoping he returns to form.