The Phoenix Suns have found themselves heavily involved in trade discussions this summer. It started with point guard Eric Bledsoe being bandied about in trade discussions with other teams. Then, following reports that Kyrie Irving demanded a trade from the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Suns seemingly got into the mix for the All-Star as well.
Following Tuesday’s news that Brandon Knight has suffered a torn ACL and will miss the entire 2017-18 season, we’re not too sure how this changes up the Suns’ plans for the remainder of the summer.
Suns guard Brandon Knight has suffered a torn ACL in his left knee and could miss the entire season, league source tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) July 25, 2017
Knight, 25, has been injury prone throughout the vast majority of his young NBA career. He missed 28 games to injury for Phoenix last season and has not played in more than 54 games since the end of the 2014-15 season.
If the Suns were to move Bledsoe, Knight’s presence on the roster would have been nearly guaranteed for next season. Now that Knight is out for the entire campaign, one has to wonder if that will expedite the Suns’ pursuit of Kyrie Irving. A report on Tuesday indicated that Phoenix would have to part ways with Bledsoe and rookie No. 4 overall pick Josh Jackson.
For his part, Knight’s career has been derailed by injuries. He’s now played for three teams in six NBA seasons. And it’s readily apparent the Suns don’t believe they can trust his health to hold up over the long term.