Bucks acquire Knight, Middleton, Kravtsov in Jennings trade

MILWAUKEE (WITI) -- The Milwaukee Bucks have acquired guard Brandon Knight (6-3, 189), forward Khris Middleton (6-7, 215) and center Viacheslav Kravtsov (7-0, 260) from the Detroit Pistons in a sign-and-trade deal for guard Brandon Jennings, General Manager John Hammond announced Wednesday, July 31st. The trade will become final pending all players passing physical exams.

Knight, 21, was the eighth overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft. The University of Kentucky product has appeared in 141 games (135 starts) in his two seasons in Detroit, averaging 13.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 3.9 assists while shooting 37.3 percent from beyond the arc. A 2011-12 NBA All-Rookie First Team selection, Knight has scored in double figures 92 times in his young career, including three 30-point outings.

A native of Miami, Fla., Knight played one season at Kentucky before entering the NBA, where he led the Wildcats back to the Final Four for the first time since 1998. Knight was named the Most Outstanding Player of the East Region of the NCAA Tournament and also earned All-SEC Second Team honors after setting new Kentucky freshman records for both scoring (657 points) and 3-pointers made (87).

Middleton, 21, was selected by the Pistons with the 39th overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft. In his rookie year in Detroit, he averaged 6.1 points and 1.9 rebounds in 27 games. He recorded eight games with 10 or more points, all off the bench. Middleton also played three contests in the D-League for the Fort Wayne Mad Ants, where he averaged 11.0 points and 7.7 rebounds.

The Texas A&M product was named Second Team All-Big 12 as a junior and made the Wooden and Naismith Award watch lists in 2012. In the summer of 2011, Middleton participated in USA Basketball’s World University Games Team Training Camp. He is the cousin of six-year NBA veteran Josh Powell.

Kravtsov, 25, appeared in 25 games for Detroit during the 2012-13 campaign after signing with the Pistons as a free agent prior to the season. Averaging 3.1 points and 1.8 rebounds per game in his lone NBA season, the Odessa, Ukraine, native became the first Pistons undrafted rookie to record a double-double when he notched season-highs in points (14), rebounds (10) and minutes (29) at Indiana on Feb. 22, 2013.

Prior to the NBA, Kravtsov played professionally in Ukraine, beginning his career in 2006 with BC Kyiv. A member of the Ukrainian Senior National Team since 2006, he was named the Eurobasket.com Ukrainian Superleague Domestic Player of the Year in 2012.

Jennings, 23, appeared in 291 games over four seasons with the Bucks, averaging 17.0 points, 3.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The 10th overall pick by Milwaukee in the 2009 NBA Draft, Jennings erupted for a franchise-rookie-record 55 points just seven games into his career on Nov. 14, 2009 vs. Golden State and went on to earn four Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month Awards. Jennings leaves the Bucks ranked third on the franchise’s all-time list in both 3-pointers made and attempted, while also ranking eighth in career steals per game.