Leading up to the 2011 NBA Draft Lottery, the Utah had a real chance of falling to the No. 4 pick. Then an assistant coach for the Jazz, Jeff Hornacek knew which prospect he wanted to draft in that scenario.
“I think we should pick Brandon fourth if we drop to four,” Hornacek told the Jazz front office.
Utah didn’t fall out of the top four, nor did they take Knight.
“What did you go, seventh?” the Suns’ head coach asked his newly re-signed guard on Monday.
“Eighth,” Brandon responded immediately.
“He probably thought he should have gone four or higher,” Hornacek added.
Again, Knight didn’t miss a beat.
“One,” he inserted, drawing laughs from the assembled local media in the room.
Knight’s confidence is one of the few consistencies in an otherwise fluid career. Phoenix became his third NBA home in less than four years after Milwaukee traded him here in January. The move was a shock after Knight had become the leading reason behind the Bucks’ surge from cellar-dwellar to playoff-caliber. He nearly made the Eastern Conference All-Star team as a result. His reward was to be shipped elsewhere.
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It did wind up being a reward, however, both for him and for the Suns. Hornacek noticed Knight’s impact immediately, most notably in the category of vocal leadership. He asked teammates to communicate more on defense, to place themselves more accurately in the offensive sets, and basically to simply play together.
Even after an ankle injury limited Knight’s Suns experience to just 11 games, Hornacek had seen enough.
“We have to have Brandon back,” he told the front office. “This guy is going to be special for us.”
Knight felt similarly about the franchise, the first team to show long-term interest in a player whose production had improved each year he’d been in the league.
2011-12: 12.8 ppg, 3.8 apg, 3.2 rpg, 0.7 spg, 38.0 3FG%
2012-13: 13.3 ppg, 4.0 apg, 3.3 rpg, 0.8 spg, 36.7 3FG%
2013-14: 17.9 ppg, 4.9 apg, 3.5 rpg, 1.0 spg, 32.5 3FG%
2014-15: 17.8 ppg, 5.4 apg, 3.8 rpg, 1.6 spg, 40.9 3FG% (pre-trade numbers in Milwaukee)
Still just 23 years old, Knight found the Suns’ commitment to him refreshing. Here was a team, he thought, that wanted him around, that made him a part of their long-term plan.
“From day one, the organization showed me first-class how they do things,” Knight said. “They really did things the right way. They asked my opinion on a lot of things, welcomed me with open arms and showed me how much they wanted me. I think that’s a big reason as to why I wanted to commit so early in the process…I just really knew after being here for a couple months where my heart was at.”
Knight returned the commitment. Heading into free agent negotiations on July 1, the 6-3 guard asked the Suns where would be most convenient for them to meet, so as to better facilitate their other free agency goals. After they quickly came to terms, he had another question.
“From day one, the organization showed me first-class how they do things…I just really knew after being here for a couple months where my heart was at.”
— Brandon Knight on re-signing with the Suns
“What else can I do to help the team?” Knight asked.
Upon hearing Phoenix planned on making a pitch to former All-Star Tyson Chandler, he quickly accepted an invitation to accompany the Suns’ representatives. Once Chandler committed, he asked if he could join him and fellow guard Eric Bledsoe to try and recruit star forward LaMarcus Aldridge.
As Phoenix completed agreements with other free agents, Knight volunteered to hold off his own signing until last. Since the Suns held his rights, they could (if needed) exceed the cap to re-sign him. They could not do so to sign another team’s free agent. Signing him last, then, allowed Phoenix to maximize its cap space without worrying about also keeping Knight.
“Every step of the way, the theme has been the same,” said Suns General Manager Ryan McDonough. “It’s been sacrifice. It’s been unselfishness.”
Knight felt Phoenix was worth it. He cited his fondness for the city, his teammates, and the vision of the Suns’ front office. He also feels the team, composed mostly of 20-somethings who have yet to tap their full individual and collective potential, will only get better.
“The sky’s the limit,” Knight said.