The Phoenix Suns are looking to lock up combo guard Brandon Knight to a huge deal despite his early exit from play last season due to injury.
The Suns acquired Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks through a three-team trade involving the Philadelphia 76ers last February 19.
Knight played for only 11 games (nine starts) for the Suns last season after sustaining an injury but was able to contribute efficiently with averages of 13.4 points, 2.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
Before getting traded to Phoenix, he played 52 games for the Bucks in the 2014-15 season and averaged 17.8 points, 4.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists.
Gery Woelfel of the Racine Journal-Times quoted an NBA official as saying Knight was set to ink a five-year, $70 million pact with the Suns. Knight is described as a versatile player who can shoot and defend and is more effective as a facilitator.
But signing Knight raises a question regarding the future of Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe, who inked a huge deal with the team last season.
According to reports, the Suns have been looking for possible deals for Bledsoe before draft night in their desire to trade him, and the intention of dealing him away was still prioritized by the team even after the draft.
Bledsoe has been a valuable asset for Phoenix, playing 82 games last season with averages of 17 points, 5.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists and 1.6 steals per outing.
Despite the numbers Bledsoe provided for the team last season, the Suns seem to be disatisfied with his performance and are exploring options for a trade deal that includes the point guard, ESPN's Marc Stein said in his tweet.
Last season, the Suns finished with a 39-43 record, falling two spots behind eighth place in the West and missing the playoffs for the fifth consecutive time. Their last appearrance in the postseason was in 2009-10.
