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NBA Trade Rumors: Brandon Knight to Sacramento Kings talk heating up; Sixers to offer Nerlens Noel as per report

| Dec 31, 2016 05:44 AM EST

Brandon Knight

The Sacramento Kings could be the busiest team as they're currently involved in multiple NBA trade rumors and it's not even about DeMarcus Cousins.

The Kings have been linked to Goran Dragic of the Miami Heat in a prospective trade for Rudy Gay, but talks about another point guard target are heating up. Brandon Knight of the Phoenix Suns could be their next target. This was revealed by Brian Windhorst when he guested on Zach Lowe's podcast.  (h/t Arizona Sports)

"It's hard to read Sacramento. Sacramento talks a lot but then never does anything, so Sacramento's very frustrating to people," Windhorst said. "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 is vague about what the Kings will offer in return. Left to speculation, the Sacramento players that are on the block are still Rudy Gay, Ben McLemore, Kosta Koufos and presumably Omri Casspi.

Gay is probably not interested in signing with the Phoenix Suns when he becomes a free agent at the end of the season. The Suns is unlikely to part with Knight for a rental. Aside from Omri Casspi, the Suns don't have use for the other pieces that the Kings would offer (if it would be limited to the players that they are already willing to trade).

This is why Knight could be headed somewhere different, as claimed by Anthony DiMoro in his Forbes piece.

"According to rumors, the Kings are the only team, that we know about, talking about a Knight trade, but it's hard to imagine the Sixers and Suns not having a talk before the trade deadline as they matchup wonderfully for a trade," DiMoro stated.

DiMoro reiterated that the Sixers can offer the Suns their center Nerlens Noel. The Suns already have two centers in the rotation: veteran Tyson Chandler and Alex Len. Acquiring Noel would press the Suns to trade one of the two, possibly Chandler to a contender who needs an experienced, defensive center.

However, trading Chandler is easier said than done because of his sizable long-term contract. A team like the Cleveland Cavaliers, who are in definite win-now at all costs mode, is a possibility but they are very successful at the moment and a trade may be farthest on their mind.

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