Four years after his NBA career appeared to fade away, a former Dallas Mavericks guard is getting another major opportunity. The 34-year-old veteran is now headed to Australia.
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Brandon Knight has signed with the Perth Wildcats for the Hungry Jack’s NBL27 season, pending NBL approval. The move gives Knight another chance to compete at a high level after spending the past few seasons rebuilding his career overseas.
Brandon Knight entered the NBA as the No. 8 overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. He went on to play 451 games, averaging 14.0 points, 3.9 assists, and 3.1 rebounds during his NBA career. It involved different stints with Detroit, Phoenix, Milwaukee, Cleveland, and Houston, and a short stint with Dallas, alongside Luka Doncic.
After the 2019-20 season, Knight’s NBA future looked bleak. He became an unrestricted free agent and, despite trying to prove he was healthy, received no NBA roster offers for the 2020-21 season.
His injury history had taken a toll. This would later lead him to find opportunities in various countries such as Puerto Rico and Greece, and now possibly Australia, as per the X update.
Knight had already battled a torn ACL, major knee issues, ankle injuries and a sports hernia that required surgery. His production had also declined, making NBA teams reluctant to take a chance on the veteran guard. He spent time on his conditioning and even worked out for the Milwaukee Bucks. That route eventually led him to the G League.
After appearing in the 2021 NBA Summer League with Brooklyn and briefly joining the New York Knicks before being waived, Knight entered the G League Draft. The Sioux Falls Skyforce selected him sixth overall on October 23, 2021. Knight averaged 21.3 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.6 rebounds through his first 11 games of the 2021-22 G League season. His production put him back on NBA radars at exactly the right time.
During the COVID outbreak, the Mavericks needed guard depth. They signed him to a 10-day contract on December 23, 2021. It gave Knight a chance to share the floor with Luka Doncic. Knight appeared in five games during that initial stint. After the deal expired, Sioux Falls reacquired him on January 14, 2022. Dallas eventually brought him back for another 10-day contract on March 29, 2022. The return was brief, but it marked Knight’s final NBA chapter.
Knight took his talents overseas and found renewed success in Puerto Rico. In 2023, he played for Piratas de Quebradillas, won league MVP, and led the league in scoring at 23.3 points per game. He later joined AEK Athens in Greece. Then came another unexpected chapter.
In late 2025, Knight returned to the international stage with USA Basketball. He was named to the November 2025 USA Basketball Men’s World Cup Qualifying Team as the United States worked toward securing a place in the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.
The 34-year-old played in both qualifying victories against Nicaragua. He averaged 15.0 points and a team-high 8.5 assists while shooting an impressive 64.7% from the field.
“Man! What an experience !!!” he wrote on Instagram. “Hoops was great but the experience with the people made it unforgettable. Love to my USA family. @usabasketball thank you for the opportunity and unbelievable experience. It’s An honor to represent the red white and blue. Bigger than hoops! Thank you ❤️🤍💙🔴 ⚪️🔵.”
Now, Australia looks set to be the next destination.
In fact, Perth’s interest in the former NBA star is not recent. Fox Sports Australia linked him with a club as a potential injury replacement for David Duke Jr. ESPN’s Olgun Uluc also reported that Perth had talks with Knight at the deadline and remained interested. More than 18 months later, those discussions have finally produced a deal.
Knight’s best NBA season came with Phoenix in 2015-16, when he averaged 19.6 points, 5.1 assists, and 3.9 rebounds over 52 games. Nearly a decade later, his path has taken him from being an NBA lottery pick to going unsigned, fighting his way through the G League, and rebuilding his career overseas.