14
Sep
Roster Upgrade
Hassle off as Knight rides into Perth with 450 NBA games in kit
Brandon Knight drives to the basket for Team USA. Knight signed with the Perth Wildcats for NBL27. Photo: FIBA.com
Highlights
Perth waited and waited for a point guard and landed a 451-game NBA veteran with five days left.
- All 165 games of the NBL27 season in one list
- Every NBL27 roster, squad list and projected depth chart
- Every injured NBL player, with expected return dates
Former NBA journeyman Brandon Knight carries the Red Army's hopes into NBL27 as the Perth Wildcats opted for experience and stability at point guard.
Knight, who will turn 35 on December 1, was unveiled today (September 14, 2026) as the Wildcats' third and final import, with just five days before the start of the season.
The 1.88 floor general from Florida burst out of the blocks in his first NBA season in 2011, selected 8th overall in the NBA Draft by the Detroit Pistons. He made the 2012 All-Rookie First Team.
Knight is Perth's third crack at a lead guard after then five-time MVP Bryce Cotton stunningly left the club during a he-said-he-said free agency saga after NBL25.
American Mason Jones lasted five games at the start of NBL26, and David Duke Jr. showed promise before injury disrupted his season.
Brandon Knight Photo Gallery
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Twelve days ago, Perth general manager Danny Mills said: “We're going to bring in the right guy.
"We waited and got [Kristian] Doolittle, and then we waited and got [Dylan] Windler.
"With where our roster is now and with who we brought in this year and who the guys are who are returning, we are going to be very strategic on who we bring in.
"It's about patience. We're not going to just bring a guy in to bring a guy in."
Knight’s best season in the NBA came in 2015-16 for Phoenix: 19.6 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in 36.0 minutes in 52 games.
He didn’t make the playoffs in his nine-year, 451-game career.
Knight played his last NBA game on April 1, 2022, before signing with the Piratas de Quebradillas in Puerto Rico. He lit up the BSN, averaging 24.4 points, 4.6 boards, 5.2 assists, and 1.4 steals per game to win the Most Valuable Player and league scoring title. Knight had a 50-piece on May 4, 2023.
Last season, he suited up for Mets de Guaynabo (BSN) and in 20 games put up 18.0 points (47% FG), grabbed 3.7 rebounds, and 6.3 assists.
Former NBL star Jason Cadee said Perth’s patience to find the right floor leader had the potential to pay off in a big way.
"Brandon has been a very good player for a long period of time," Cadee said on Cut to the Jase.
"Obviously out of the NBA for a few years now, but playing well in a league a lot of NBL players now go to in Puerto Rico.
"It’ll be interesting to see how he translates, but his name has been floated around the NBL for a few years now, so it’s good to see it come to life, and can he be the missing link to take Perth to a title.
"I think he 100% will help them and adds another piece alongside the core group of (Kristian) Doolittle, (Dylan) Windler and (Jo Lual-Acuil Jr)."
It’s a welcome relief for head coach John Rillie, who played Australian Boomers shooting guards Elijah Pepper and Anthony Dell’Orso for extended periods at the 1 during the NBL27 Blitz and their pre-season tour of Japan. The added hassle was son Jaron is still recovering from a hamstring injury and is a more than viable back-up to Knight when he’s healthy.
The Perth Wildcats play their first game of NBL27 against South East Melbourne Phoenix at 9.30pm (AEST) at RAC Arena. Knight’s status for round 1 is uncertain.
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