Suns 5-On-5: Can Phoenix Steal Away LaMarcus Aldridge?
4. Do you like the reported deal the Suns are giving to Brandon Knight?
Bourguet: I don’t mind it. On paper, $14 million per year is a lot to commit to a guy who played 11 pretty unconvincing games for the Suns. But that’s a tiny sample size hindered by an ankle injury and adjusting to new teammates. He’ll be better after a training camp alongside Eric Bledsoe, he’s got leadership qualities at age 23 and with the salary cap ready to launch into outer space, his deal won’t look so bad down the road.
Chasen: I’m good with it. The cap is going up so $15 million isn’t really $15 million, if that makes sense. Here is an example to provide a bit of context: LeBron James could be making something like $35-40 million per year on his next long-term deal, depending on how he decides to play it over the next two years. If that were the case, Knight would be making about 37.5-42.8 percent of that, which is absolutely okay.
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If Knight made 37.5 percent of what LeBron made this year, he would’ve made right around $8.1 million, which I would say is a bargain. The formula obviously changes the more years each player plays, but with the cap going up, $15 million contracts will be valued a lot differently than they are now.
Hann: Yes, yes and yes. It may seem like a lot for a player who gave the Suns 11 games of inconsistent play, but people don’t seem to realize how hard of a situation Knight was thrown into at the trade deadline. He was having a career year and posting All-Star worthy numbers as a Buck before being sent to Phoenix and with a full offseason here under his belt, I would bet my money that he will be good for 17 and 5 a night when the season starts. The best part is the Suns now have him locked up for the next five years on a contract that is going to seem like an absolutely bargain once the salary cap skyrockets.
Sanders: I do because that is the going rate for a guy of Knight’s talents. The guy is a born leader and that is something the Suns did not have on the roster last year. Besides that, he was nearly an All-Star with Milwaukee before being traded to the Suns. He struggled in his handful of games as he tried to learn the system and fit in. I believe Knight has a very big ceiling and I like this contract for him.
Harris: I am happy that they are keeping Knight because he is a quality NBA point guard and a hypothetical safety mat if Eric Bledsoe is traded. That said, $70 million over five years seems like a bit too much, but with the cap going up next year, it may not amount to anything.
Next: No. 5