The Sixer Sense
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Sixers Should Look Into Brandon Knight Trade

By Josh Wilson

Dec 19, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 115-108. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 19, 2016; Minneapolis, MN, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight (11) looks on during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. The Timberwolves won 115-108. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /
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Brandon Knight is popping up in NBA trade rumors, and the Philadelphia 76ers should see if he could fit on their roster and think about a trade.

The Philadelphia 76ers are running out of time to make a trade, and they absolutely need to make a trade this season. The NBA trade deadline is February 23rd, and the Sixers have three big men in Joel Embiid, Jahlil Okafor, and Nerlens Noel that all can not effectively be on the same roster.

All signs point to Nerlens Noel being the piece that the Sixers trade after he has alienated himself from the team by criticizing the current situation he is in. The problem is that he hasn’t played many minutes this season, so teams aren’t quite sure what he can be after his recent surgery on his knee.

While there have been minimal reported trade rumors regarding the Sixers so far, there have been rumors about other players around the league, and there’s potential for the Sixers to fit in.

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On a recent episode of The Lowe Post hosted by Zach Lowe of ESPN, guest Brian Windhorst talked about Phoenix Suns guard Brandon Knight and trade rumors he’s hearing about Knight.

"“I know that Sacramento has been talking to Phoenix about Brandon Knight since the summer. Will that ultimately get done? I don’t know, but it’s out there.”"

Windhorst noted that he’s been hearing rumor murmurs about Knight and the Sacramento Kings since the summer, and given that nothing has really picked up steam up to this point, I think it’s safe to assume that a deal likely won’t get done between those two teams. But that doesn’t mean Philly can’t garner some interest from the Suns for Knight.

There is incentive for the Suns to move Knight. So far this season, they have diminished Knight’s role, and he is not being used to his maximum potential. His minutes have been cut by over 10 per game this season. If they could trade for someone who can help them more and be more effective overall for what the Suns need, then that might be a good deal for them.

Now, given that the Suns have won just 9 games so far this year, and the Sixers have won less than that, a deal won’t necessarily help these teams improve themselves to the point that they’re in the playoffs, but it could help them further their strategies for their long-term rebuilds.

The Sixers could use Knight

The Sixers could use Knight to their advantage, especially once Ben Simmons comes back. With Jerryd Bayless out for the season, the Sixers need a guard to play alongside Simmons that is a combo guard and that can score off of passes from Simmons.

Knight can be that player, often playing in the point guard and shooting guard position, for just about an equal amount of distribution in each position. Knight is a decent passer himself, which may take away a bit from Simmons’ facilitating, but overall he is decent scorer, and could take advantage of Simmons’ court vision just as much as any other player who has a knack for scoring.

He’s not the best guard available that fits perfectly alongside Simmons, but he is a better fit than most. Knight seems like a player that can be flexible and do what’s best for the team he’s on.

Knight hasn’t scored as much this season as he has in recent years due to a cut in minutes, but he has shown in previous seasons that he is capable of scoring up to around 20 points per game.

More Trade Speculation: Sixers and Celtics Match Well as Trade Partners

Knight isn’t a sharpshooter by any means, but he does shoot above 35 percent from beyond the arc, and nearly 40 percent from the field. While Knight may not be the ideal picture of what the Sixers need in the backcourt, they can definitely make him work. The only problem with Knight is that the Sixers will have to really dedicate to him for the future, as he is on contract through 2020 and on a rising contract, owed over $10 million in each of the next few seasons.

The Suns could use Noel

The Suns are a team that is in need of defensive help. While defense starts at the perimeter, it ends at the rim, and Noel has proven that he’s a great rim defender in the NBA. Adding him to their rotation would easily allow them to take their defense to a new level.

The Suns are 28th in the NBA in points allowed, and 20th in the league in blocks per game. Adding a player like Noel won’t transform them completely and allow them to be a top five defensive team in the NBA, but it will allow them to take strides to become a better defensive team.

Next: Should the Sixers Trade Bayless?

While Noel’s contract is nowhere near the value of Knight’s at the moment, the Suns could free up some money in this trade and use that money to re-sign Noel this summer, anchoring their defense and rim protection for the next several years.