The waters of restricted free agency were tough for the Phoenix Suns to navigate last season as they attempted to re-sign Eric Bledsoe. It might not get much easier for the front office with another restricted free agent coming their way again this summer, especially since this one is currently injured.
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According to Paul Coro of the Arizona Republic, Brandon Knight is likely done for the 2014-15 season due to a heel bone bruise from the sprained left ankle injury he sustained on Mar. 9 against the Golden State Warriors.
Coro says Knight won’t be joining the Suns on their four-game road trip and he is not expected to play in the season finale, a home game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
Knight, a restricted free agent this summer, hasn’t really shown fans or the front office what he’s capable of during his time in Phoenix. He’s only played in 11 games with the Suns, averaging 13.4 points, 4.5 assists and 2.1 rebounds per game while shooting 35.7 percent from the field and 31.3 percent from three-point range.
Those aren’t terrible numbers, but they’re a far cry from what he was putting up with the Milwaukee Bucks: 17.8 points, 5.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game on 43.5 percent shooting from the field and 40.9 percent shooting from downtown.
They also haven’t done much to help the perception that he’s worth the eight-figure salary he’ll be aiming for with a new contract this summer.
So Brandon Knight is going to finish with 11 games, 16 games missed, and an eFG% of 43%. Not quite an inspiring start to his Suns tenure
— Scott Howard (@ScottHoward42) April 6, 2015
At the 2015 NBA Trade Deadline, the Suns moved on from Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas in the backcourt, shipping them away to bring in Knight. The front office envisions him fitting alongside Eric Bledsoe in the backcourt as a combo guard, but the brief glimpses we’ve gotten of the Knight-Bledsoe pairing haven’t been promising.
To be fair, 11 games is an extremely small sample size. Knight went from having the ball in his hands in Milwaukee to playing off the ball with Bledsoe running the point. That’s a major adjustment to make midseason, especially since Knight was so shocked (and hurt) by the deal in the first place.
Still, Knight’s ankle issues have prevented the Suns from discovering just what they have on their hands. Phoenix has a young core locked down and the front office is hoping they can lock up their new 23-year-old acquisition this summer. That contract could wind up being anywhere from $10-$14 million per year.
After trading away that potentially valuable protected first round pick (via the Los Angeles Lakers), the Suns may feel locked in to keeping him just to avoid having given away a lottery pick for nothing. They believe in Knight’s potential, but there’d definitely be an outcry if Knight doesn’t work out and that pick turns out to be valuable.
The pressure to re-sign Knight and have him work out in the backcourt alongside Bledsoe is paramount, which is why this injury news could complicate contract negotiations this summer. Then again, keeping him out to avoid further injury is the smart play, especially if the Suns are still 100 percent confident in his role with the team moving forward.
If that’s the case, this Knight news isn’t as devastating as it seems on paper. The Suns are already out of the playoff hunt and with Knight out, younger players like Archie Goodwin and T.J. Warren have gotten their chance to play extended minutes.
For now, the plan appears unchanged: prioritize Knight’s health, re-sign him this summer and hope this 23-year-old meshes with Bledsoe better next season after going through training camp and having more time to grow together.
Not having Knight around for these development games is unfortunate, but shutting him down for the season is the right move — one that signifies the Suns’ commitment to keeping him around for the long-term.
Next: Could The Phoenix Suns Still Keep Gerald Green?