National Basketball Association

Updated Grade: Phoenix Suns Scored A- on Brandon Knight Trade

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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With the Milwaukee Bucks trading Michael Carter-Williams to the Chicago Bulls for Tony Snell, it is a fitting time to review how the Phoenix Suns did in the infamous Brandon Knight trade.

Fair or not, this trade will be one of the defining moves of Ryan McDonough’s tenure as Phoenix Suns General Manager. So far, the Suns are still the winners.

A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush, and that applies here. To date, the Phoenix Suns have been the clear winner of the three team trade. By taking the proven asset over the high-risk, high-reward Lakers’ 1st round pick, McDonough made the smart long-term move.

Quick review of the teams and the assets that moved: Phoenix Suns traded away Tyler Ennis and Miles Plumlee, as well as the Los Angeles Lakers protected first-round draft pick in 2015. In return, they got Brandon Knight. The Philadelphia 76’ers also sent Michael Carter Williams to the Bucks. With this most recent move, the assets gained by each team are effectively:

More from Valley of the Suns

Phoenix Suns: Brandon Knight

Milwaukee Bucks: Tony Snell and Miles Plumlee

Philadelphia 76’ers: Lakers’ 1st round pick…eventually

That trade (and Brandon Knight by association) draws a lot of criticism because the Phoenix Suns gave the arguably the prized jewel of the team’s treasure chest: The Los Angeles Lakers 2015 first round pick. But actually look at this trade.

It is true that the Lakers pick may still turn out to be a star. But we’re entering the 2016-17 season, and that pick still has not been conveyed to the 76’ers.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been terrible enough to keep their pick each of the past two seasons. That pick is still top-3 protected. There is also the chance the Lakers improve and become a mid-lottery team. Philly would get the pick, but Suns fans aren’t likely to kick themselves over that.

There is nothing wrong with a late lottery pick (hey Devin Booker and T.J. Warren!), but would Suns fans really have missed Robin Lopez or Earl Clark? Look at this list of players taken from 10-15 overall from the 2005 to 2010 draft.

Let’s be honest: more than half of those picks are garbage. Nobody is building around those players. It is a coin flip at best.

The Bucks come out of this trade with Miles Plumlee, a moderately effective center that likely has hit his peak, and Tony Snell, an athletically gifted project that somehow manages to almost never get steals. His 1 steal in 186 playoff minutes is actually impressive. He also regressed as a shooter last season. He is a 3-and-D player struggling at both.

Knight has his flaws as a player, but is a proven asset in the NBA with 20+ points per game easily within his reach. The only knock on this trade is that the Suns still have too many guards.

Note this is reviewing the trade independent of the other moves at the 2015 trade deadline. The Suns also acquired Kendall Marshall in the Brandon Knight trade, and waived him two days later before he played a game.

If Brandon Knight is to be judged due to what the Phoenix Suns gave up, let’s get it right: Knight was clearly the class of that trade.

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