Free agency period has yet to officially begin and teams are not even allowed to formally negotiate deals with free agents, but early reports indicate that Brandon Knight will re-sign with the Phoenix Suns.
According to Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times, restricted free agent Brandon Knight will re-sign a five-year, $70 million deal with the Suns once the offseason starts on July 1st.
Knight was acquired from the Milwaukee Bucks before the trade deadline last season in a blockbuster deal between three teams. The Suns brought in Knight to replace Goran Dragic, who asked to be traded from Phoenix. The Suns also traded away Isaiah Thomas to the Boston Celtics to end the three-point guard regime.
With Knight now expected to remain a long-term member of the Suns, questions arise whether Phoenix will move Eric Bledsoe or keep him to play alongside Knight in hopes the two can garner the same offensive success of the Dragic-Bledsoe tandem.
The Suns are likely to explore Bledsoe trade options, according to Marc Stein of ESPN. Bledsoe signed a similar five-year, $70 million deal with Phoenix last summer, and the 25-year old proved his value after averaging 17.0 points, 6.1 assists, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.6 steals last season. Bledsoe was also able to play in 81 of the 82 games after barely playing half the season the year before.
As for Knight, after playing exceptionally well for the Milwaukee Bucks, he struggled in a Suns uniform. In all fairness, Knight was riddled by injuries once he arrived in Phoenix, having played only 11 games while starting in nine of them. He averaged 13.4 points and 4.5 assists on 35.7 percent shooting for the Suns.
Whatever happens with Bledsoe, it seems like the Suns are intent on retaining Knight. However, keeping Bledsoe and Knight together makes the Suns backcourt far more stimulating.