Warriors: 3 potential free agent reserve point guards
By Jeff Young
2. The Warriors could target Brandon Knight
Not long ago, point guard Brandon Knight looked to be an emerging, young player in the NBA, but nature had a different plan in mind.
The 28-year-old has missed substantial time in his career due to injuries. The most significant of which was a torn ACL in his left knee that forced him to miss the entire 2017-2018 season.
An infection following surgery forced Knight to miss the first half of the 2018-2019 season as well. Since then, he has battled occasional bouts of knee soreness, so he has built up a pretty long list of injuries to date.
With that being said, the 6-foot-2 point guard has been a more frequent presence on the court this season than in recent seasons.
Knight has appeared in 25 games, but this includes only three starts. That is the type of role he needs to accept to prolong his career.
Earlier in his career, the University of Kentucky product managed a starter’s workload for the Detroit Pistons and Milwaukee Bucks, but given his injury history, that is likely not a viable option anymore.
There was a point in Livingston’s career where, after sustaining significant injuries, the same could be said.
The production on the court for Knight is less important than the fact that he appears to be healthy for the first time in years. The skill and talent are there, but he may need to be brought back slowly.
This is where the Warriors could come into play. Golden State does not need the backup point guard to eat up substantial minutes on the court every night, but rather someone who can fill in for a few minutes each quarter while not losing the lead.
Knight could fulfill that role. No team in the NBA is going to be comfortable handing the veteran guard a starter’s load.
On top of this, few roles are my cushy than the one that backs up Curry.
Knight was on the path to a promising career before injuries took a toll on his performance. This could be an opportunity for the 28-year-old to begin his second career as an intriguing reserve option.