The Golden State Warriors are adding former New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons forward Kevin Knox to their summer league roster, which the team released on June 30.
The No. 9 overall pick for the Knicks in 2018, Knox is just 24 years old and could still have intriguing untapped potential.
The addition of Knox came on the same day NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic reported the Dubs will sign-and-trade star forward Klay Thompson, who has spent all 13 of his NBA seasons with Golden State.
ESPN insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported via X that there are four top suitors set to vie for Thompson’s services: the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, L.A. Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers.
While there is little chance of Knox or any other player filling the void that will surely be left by Thompson, Knox could still be a player to monitor for the Dubs this summer.
A Look at What Kevin Knox Signing Could Bring to the Golden State Warriors
Knox played in 75 games (57 starts) as a rookie with the Knicks, amassing 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists that year.
While he has consistently displayed a solid jump shot, he saw his playing time dwindle in Years 2 and 3 after repeated turnovers and too-frequent traveling calls.
He was traded to the Atlanta Hawks in January of 2022 before landing with the Pistons for stint No. 1 while also spending time with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Knox landed with the Pistons for a second stint early on last season. In 31 games (11 starts) with Detroit, he averaged 7.2 points and 2.4 rebounds in just over 18 minutes per game, shooting 46.2% from the field.
The veteran forward was traded to the Jazz in February and released shortly after.
Knox did play in 11 G League games last season with the Rip City Remix, averaging 22.6 points, 8.8 rebounds and 2.8 assists.
While he hasn’t lived up to the hype surrounding him when he was drafted, the former Kentucky standout’s field goal percentage while with the Pistons in 2023-24 was the second-highest shooting percentage of his career. That, coupled with his age make him a player who could still have his best playing days in front of him, particularly if he lands with the right team and coaching staff.
Warriors in for Significant Change Without Klay Thompson
With Thompson headed elsewhere, major change is coming to Golden State. Thompson started 742 games for Golden State over his career. He was a huge part of the Dubs’ four NBA championships since joining the team in 2011, averaging 19.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game while shooting 41.3% from 3-point range over his career.
In 77 regular season games this past season, Thompson averaged 17.9 points, 3.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. The five-time All-Star also led the league in free-throw percentage (92.7%).
“Klay Thompson is set for free agency and — barring a dramatic mood shift — the Warriors and Thompson are more than prepared for his fairly imminent departure from the Bay Area,” Tim Kawakami of The Athletic wrote on June 29. “So prepared, an NBA source indicated this weekend, that some cordial goodbyes have been shared between Klay and high-ranking members of the Warriors’ organization.”
Again, there’s no replacing a core player such as Thompson, but the Dubs will surely be on the lookout for 3-point specialists soon.
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