NBA Rumors: Latest Trade Buzz on Brandon Knight, Rudy Gay and More

Slowly but surely, the NBA trade market is starting to heat up as front offices around the league better understand their team’s direction with the season’s quarter pole on the horizon. While there might not be any blockbusters right away, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see smaller moves in the weeks ahead.

One date to keep in mind is Dec. 15. That’s when players who were signed in free agency this past offseason become eligible to get included in trades. Those contracts are often necessary to make the financial side of deals work, which is why there usually isn’t much movement before that day.

For now, let’s check out some of the latest buzz from around the league as more names begin to trickle into the marketplace one month into the regular season.

Brandon Knight Available?

Knight is becoming a less crucial piece of the puzzle for the Phoenix Suns. The point guard started 50 games last season, but he’s been in the starting lineup just four times in 17 appearances this year. His 25 minutes per game are on pace to set a new career low.

In addition, his play has fallen off in the lesser role. His player efficiency rating of 11.7 is his worst mark since his rookie campaign in 2011-12, per Basketball-Reference.com. A lot of that is due to his poor shooting, as he’s connected on just 38.4 percent of his field-goal attempts.

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All of those factors have led to his name popping up in the rumor mill. Marc Stein of ESPN.com reported rival executives anticipate Knight being made available for trade, even though Suns general manager Ryan McDonough recently noted he wasn’t “actively trying” to find a deal.

Phoenix features a deep, versatile backcourt, so a couple of players are always going to slip through the …

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