The prize of the haul in the trade that sent Cam Reddish to the Knicks was the protected first-round pick from the Charlotte Hornets, but the Hawks also took a flier on a former top-ten selection in Kevin Knox, who had fallen out of favor in New York. Many, including myself, wondered if the Hawks would end up keeping Knox or just waive him, but it looks like the Hawks still have some belief that Knox could potentially become a contributor.
According to Chris Kirschner of The Athletic, Atlanta has no plans of waiving Knox as of now.
Atlanta does not have plans to move Kevin Knox right now, sources tell @ChrisKirschner and @FredKatz.
More intel on the Hawks-Knicks trade: https://t.co/2l7ckVeuO6 pic.twitter.com/v5YjqbaZn9
— The Athletic NBA (@TheAthleticNBA) January 13, 2022
Knox had a decent rookie campaign, averaging 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds a game, but he did so on poor efficiency, shooting just 37% from the field. In fact, over his four-year career, the former Kentucky Wildcat is a career 36.9% scorer from the field, but he has shot a respectable 34.6% from behind the arc.
Knox watched his playing time dip with each passing season. He’s only appeared in 13 games for the Knicks this season, averaging just 8.5 minutes per game. I’m not sure he’ll ever pan out as an NBA player, but as far as projects go, you could put him and Reddish in the same category. Both have been inefficient early in their NBA careers, but they are still just 22-years-old. Perhaps a change of scenery might turn their careers around. Knox may not have the upside that a player like Reddish has, but he was a ninth overall pick for a reason, and there’s a chance he could potentially become a contributor for the Hawks.
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Photo: Brian Rothmuller/Icon Sportswire
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