Mavericks missing piece could be Brandon Knight
Phoenix Suns point guard Brandon Knight has been brought up in trade rumors recently and if the young guard becomes available the Dallas Mavericks should take a hard look at him.
The Dallas Mavericks biggest weakness right now is point guard play. Since the start of the 2016 NBA season, starting point guard Deron Williams has only played in five games thus far. This does not include Wednesdays game against the Boston Celtics where Williams played just 10 minutes.
If that doesn’t help, back up PG J.J. Barea is expected to miss the upcoming six weeks with an apparent leg injury. With Williams and Barea both out and Devin Harris unsure of when he will make a return, it seems as though the Mavs are shorter than ever at the point guard position.
As of now, the only true point guard on the Dallas roster is dual guard Seth Curry. While Curry has been anything but average, it seems as though the Mavericks are in desperation mode when it comes to the quarterback position of basketball.
So why Brandon Knight?
Right now, Brandon Knight is having to take a backseat in Phoenix as he is now adjusting to the sixth man role. If that doesn’t help, the 24 year-old is also just one of many guards the team has on the roster. Starter Eric Bledsoe and veteran Leandro Barbosa all expect to get some valuable playing time with the Suns. Knight was the starting guard for Phoenix but with the rise of Devin Booker, the former starter saw his role with the team drop along with his minutes.
When given the opportunity, the young guard can light up the box score for Phoenix. When Knight’s minutes drop, so does his level of play. Against the Los Angeles Lakers this season the Suns’ sixth man scored just two points in 17 minutes. That wasn’t the only time Knight saw his points per game dip. Against the Portland Trail Blazers Knight had just 11 points in 19 minutes.
In games where he played more than 25 minutes, his points per game saw a significant increase. Against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday, Knight had a season high of 32 points in a game where he was on the court for 27 minutes. On Halloween night against the Los Angeles Clippers, Knight scored 18 point in 31 minutes. When given the opportunity, the Suns guard has shown he has the capability to not only take over games, but also have a big night. .
For his career, Brandon Knight has averaged 15.8 points per games, including 4.5 assists and 3.5 rebounds. His best season came just last year where he averaged 19.6 points game to go with his 5.1 assists.
Could Knight work out for Dallas?
As mentioned before, the Mavs are in desperate need of a point guard. Knight’s youth and athleticism could be just what Dallas is looking for. It has been almost 12 years since the Mavericks had a point guard who was peaking at the right time.
First, the Suns guard would join a group already full of young guys. Knight is just 24 years old and in basketball years that is just the beginning of one’s career. If Knight were to be plugged into a lineup featuring Harrison Barnes and Dirk Nowitzki, his scoring ability could fit right now. Barnes is currently having the best season of his career averaging 22.9 points a game. A combination of him and Knight could just be what Dallas needs to get back into the swing of things. This would help build towards the post-Dirk era as the team will be looking toward the future.
What will it take to get the Suns guard?
Currently, the Mavs only have a 2019 second round draft pick. While Dallas does not have a key number of draft picks available, they have a key number of veterans who could be used to get Knight. Wesley Matthews is the first name on the list. Matthews is currently making $17 million a year and still has three years left on his contract. If the Mavs shooting guard were to go, Dallas has plenty of options that could move into the number two spot, including Jonathan Gibson, Dorian Finney-Smith and Nicolas Brussino. Other player who could be in the trade mix are Andrew Bogut, Devin Harris or even Deron Williams.
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Brandon Knight isn’t on the trade block just yet, but his name has been brought up as of late. If he becomes available, he is a player Dallas should take a huge look at.