Tag: kevin knox

Pistons sign Kevin Knox

The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Kevin Knox II.

Knox II (6-7, 215) suited up for the Pistons and Portland Trail Blazers in 2022-23, averaging 6.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 15.1 minutes in 63 games. He appeared in 42 games for the Pistons and averaged 5.6 points, 2.6 rebounds and 0.4 assists while shooting 47% from the field in 14.1 minutes per game.

The Phoenix native was traded from Detroit to Portland on Feb. 9, 2023, as part of a four-team trade with Atlanta, Golden State and Portland. Following the trade, Knox II appeared in 21 games for the Trail Blazers where he averaged 8.5 points and 3.3 rebounds in 17.1 minutes. He holds career averages of 7.5 points, 2.9 rebounds and 18.0 minutes in 275 career NBA games (66 starts).

Drafted ninth overall by New York in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox II played collegiately for one season at Kentucky where he earned SEC Co-Freshman of the Year while being named to the SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC Tournament First Team in 2017-18.

Pistons sign Kevin Knox, and re-sign Rodney McGruder

The Detroit Pistons have signed forward Kevin Knox and re-signed guard Rodney McGruder.

Knox, 6-7, 215, suited up for the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks in 2021-22, totaling 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.4 minutes over 30 games. Knox played in two games for the Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, recording double-digit scoring in both outings while shooting .636 from the floor and .600 from distance in postseason action.

The Phoenix native was traded on Jan. 13 of this previous season from New York to Atlanta after spending three-plus NBA seasons with the Knicks. In his rookie campaign with New York in 2018-19, Knox tallied clips of 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 28.8 minutes through 75 games (57 starts). He holds career averages of 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes over 212 NBA games (61 starts).

Drafted ninth overall by New York in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox played collegiately for one season at Kentucky where he earned SEC Rookie of the Year while being named to the SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC Tournament First Team in 2017-18.

McGruder, 6-4, 205, has averaged 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.1 minutes through 67 games (four starts) for Detroit from 2020-22. McGruder holds shooting clips of .458 from the field and .406 from 3-point range while with the Pistons over the last two seasons. His 3-point shooting percentage marks the fifth-highest in Pistons history by a player with a minimum of 150 3-point attempts. The six-year NBA veteran was originally acquired by Detroit from the L.A. Clippers via a three-team trade also involving the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19, 2020.

Following a four-year career at Kansas State where he was selected to All-Big 12 teams three times, McGruder made his NBA debut for the Miami HEAT on Oct. 26, 2016. He went on to play three seasons for Miami before suiting up for the Clippers for the 2019-20 campaign. He has posted career averages of 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.8 minutes over 285 NBA games (120 starts) and has played in nine NBA Playoff contests across two playoff appearances, one with each of his former teams.

On what a Chris Paul trade to the Knicks might look like

Should the Knicks be interested in a legendary point guard who is past his prime and at the tail end of his NBA career? Probably not. But if the team does pursue this deal, here’s what it may look like, per the New York Post:

If Knicks president Leon Rose takes the leap for 35-year-old Chris Paul, he may have to give up on Kevin Knox, according to an NBA source.

The Thunder are motivated to deal Paul and his massive contract after deciding upon a rebuilding campaign following Billy Donovan’s firing. Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti likely will want a first-round pick and a young prospect still on his rookie contract, multiple league officials believe.

According to the source, that young player preferably would be Knox, the ninth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, who is coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign.

The Knicks have a trove of first-round picks to deal (seven first-round picks in the next four drafts). The belief, however, is that they would prefer to keep the 20-year-old Knox in any Paul scenario and offer up either of their 2017 lottery-pick point guards, Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith Jr., both of whom will be restricted free agents in 2021.

We don’t see how it makes any sense for the Knicks to pursue CP3 at this time in their rebuild, especially if it means giving up any first round draft picks.

Will Kevin Knox be a part of Knicks future?

Here’s the New York Post reporting on young Knicks swingman Kevin Knox, who has a lot of work to do to solidify his place in the league:

I’m told one of team president Leon Rose’s biggest regrets from the suspension of the season’s final 16 games because of the coronavirus was not getting a closer look at his enigmatic second-year forward. According to a source, Rose still doesn’t know what to make of Knox and doesn’t know if the 20-year-old is part of their future. That is despite Kentucky coach John Calipari’s warning not to trade Knox (Calipari and Rose are close.)

Right now, most players on the Knicks roster could very well be wearing different uniforms by the time next season rolls around.

Kevin Knox riding the bench for Knicks

Young Knicks forward Kevin Knox played 28.8 minutes per game as a rookie last season, starting in 57 of 75 games.

This year, he has come off the bench for 17 of 18 games, playing nine fewer minutes per outing than as a rookie.

The New York Post reports the following: “Sometimes they’ve got to go through some tough love to find themselves and watch the game from 25,000 feet, see it, and see the things that I’m emphasizing,” Knicks coach David Fizdale said when asked about Knox after practice Saturday in Tarrytown. “I was tough on Frank last year and I just feel like Frank has come back with a whole different mindset about how he’s going to go about this season.”

It’ll be interesting to see how Knox progresses this season. If he’s able to raise his shooting percentage and overall game, it would make future Knicks roster decision-making a lot easier.

Knicks starting a flock of rookies

The Knicks have a solid, fun flock of rookies who aren’t big-time NBA players yet but have talent and have been enjoyable to watch this season. Here’s the latest update on several of them, and the starting lineup, from the New York Post:

The Knicks’ rookie power trio will start together for the first time this season.

David Fizdale has made one more starting lineup tweak, adding undrafted rookie guard Allonzo Trier in a small-ball shuffle that sends power forward Noah Vonleh to the bench and 2018 lottery pick Kevin Knox from small to power forward.

Amid a lousy start record-wise at 4-11, the lone upside is Fizdale buying in completely to a youth movement and showcasing the three promising rookies.

Center Mitchell Robinson has started over Enes Kanter since the season’s sixth game and will make his New Orleans homecoming Friday vs. the Pelicans.

Each rookie has shown flashes. They may not be winning much so far this first month of NBA action but they’re providing entertainment and the potential for legitimate growth as pros.

The latest on Knicks rookie Kevin Knox

Rookie Kevin Knox is one of the most intriguing young players on the Knicks this season. He will be even more intriguing when he’s health and actually playing basketball again. Which should be relatively soon, though an exact date remains unknown. Here’s the New York Post with an update:

Knox will sit out his fifth straight game Wednesday night against the Pacers, but will travel with the team on the road trip to Dallas and Washington. Knox is currently participating in shooting drills and doing non-contact court activity while increasing his movement on a daily basis.

Despite being sidelined since suffering the left-ankle injury on Oct. 20, Knox believes his learning curve hasn’t slowed, and said he has picked up new things from the bench.

“I really enjoy watching on the side because I can really see the game from a different perspective,” said Knox, who was speaking to the media for the first time since the injury occurred. “It’s really fun to watch on the side, they talk, the way they move the ball, defensively. These past few games I was on the bench watching it was pretty great. I got to talk to players on the bench, tell them what they can do better, more and more leadership I can bring to the team.”

— Full Article

Knicks sign rookie Kevin Knox

The New York Knicks yesterday signed 2018 first-round draft selection Kevin Knox to his rookie contract.

Knox, 18, was drafted by New York out of the University of Kentucky with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft on June 21. The 6-9, 215-pound forward started all 37 games for the Wildcats averaging a team-high 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists over 32.4 minutes. He was named a 2017-18 AP All-America Honorable Mention and co-freshman of year in the SEC.

The Tampa, Fla. native scored in double figures in all but seven games, including a team-high 10 games with 20 or more. He erupted for a game-high 34 points in a 17-point comeback victory at No. 7 West Virginia on Jan. 27, 2018. He helped lead the Wildcats with 25 points and six rebounds in a victory over Davidson in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Knox will wear No. 20 for the Knicks and is currently participating with the team’s entry in the 2018 Las Vegas Summer League.

Knicks draft Kevin Knox with 9th overall pick

Here’s the New York Post reporting on Kevin Knox, selected 9th in the first round of the 2018 Draft last night by the New York Knicks:

Go ahead, Knicks fans. Dream about Kevin Knox’s upside. John Calipari thinks the Knicks hit a home run with his former player.

“It’s a futures league. He’s 18 years old. You’re trying to project who of these guys can be special, and when you look at what they were having at that pick, if that kid is a year or two older, he’s the one, two or three pick,” the Kentucky coach said shortly after the Knicks took the 6-foot-9 wing in the first round (ninth overall) in Thursday’s NBA draft at Barclays Center. “Physically, he’ll come into his own quicker than everybody thinks he will, and the league is moving to 6-foot-9 shooters, [being] able to play multiple positions, and he can do that.”

The former McDonald’s All-American from Florida with a 7-foot wingspan averaged 15.6 points and 5.4 rebounds while shooting 34.1 percent from 3-point range, and led Kentucky to the Sweet 16. Calipari has compared him to Celtics phenom Jayson Tatum, a comparison the Kentucky coach didn’t back down from on Thursday. As a rookie, Tatum did things with Boston that Calipari didn’t see from him in college, as a long defender capable of scoring on the perimeter and in the paint.

Full article

And per Knicks.com: Knox, 6-9, 215-pounds spent one season at Kentucky with averages of 15.6 points and 32.4 minutes over 37 games (37 starts). He led the Wildcats in scoring, 3-pointers made and recorded the eighth-most points (576) in school history as a freshman. Knox was a 2017-18 AP Honorable Mention All-America selection, 2017-18 SEC co-Freshman of the Year and named to the 2017-18 All-SEC First Team. As a freshman, he scored in double figures in all but seven games, including a team-high 10 games with 20 or more. He erupted for a game-high 34 points in a 17-point comeback victory at No. 7 West Virginia on January 27, 2018. In a victory over Davidson, he posted 25 points and six rebounds in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.