Kevin Devon Knox II (born August 11, 1999) is an American professional

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United S ...

(NBA). He played

college basketball In United States colleges, top-tier basketball is governed by collegiate athletic bodies including National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA), the United States Collegiate Athleti ...

for the

Kentucky Wildcats The Kentucky Wildcats are the men's and women's intercollegiate athletic squads of the University of Kentucky (UK), a founding member of the Southeastern Conference. The Kentucky Wildcats is the student body of the University of Kentucky. 30,473 ...

. Knox was selected ninth overall by the

New York Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

in the

2018 NBA draft The 2018 NBA Draft was held on June 21, 2018, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. National Basketball Association (NBA) teams took turns selecting amateur United States college basketball players and other eligible players, including inte ...

. In January 2022, he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks. Knox signed with the Detroit Pistons during the 2022 offseason, but he was dealt to the Trail Blazers in February 2023.

High school career

Knox attended Tampa Catholic High School in

Tampa, Florida Tampa () is a city on the Gulf Coast of the United States, Gulf Coast of the U.S. state of Florida. The city's borders include the north shore of Tampa Bay and the east shore of Old Tampa Bay. Tampa is the largest city in the Tampa Bay area and ...

. As a junior, he averaged 30.1

points per game Points per game, often abbreviated PPG, is the average number of points scored by a player per game played in a sport, over the course of a series of games, a whole season, or a career. It is calculated by dividing the total number of points by nu ...

, 11.2

rebounds per game 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

, and 2.4 assists while leading the Crusaders to regional and district championships and runner-up to the 2016 Florida Class 4A semifinals. In the 2016 summer, he joined his AAU team, E1T1 United on the

Nike Elite Youth Basketball League The Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, also known as Nike EYBL, or simply EYBL, is a basketball circuit for teams of players aged 17 and under. The circuit was founded in 2010 and is composed of AAU travel teams. Both boys and girls play in the E ...

(EYBL) Circuit. On May 14, 2016, Knox scored career high 28 points in a win against All Ohio Red. He averaged 19.6 points per game and 7.6 rebounds per game on the EYBL circuit. As a senior, Knox averaged 28.5

and 11.3

leading Tampa Catholic to a (25–6) record. He played in the

McDonald's All-American Game The McDonald's All-American Game is the all-star basketball game played each year for American and Canadian boys' and girls' high school basketball graduates. Consisting of the top players, each team plays a single exhibition game after the concl ...

and Jordan Brand Classic.

Recruiting

He was a five-star recruit and was regarded as one of the top players in the 2017 class. On May 6, 2017, Knox committed to play basketball at the University of Kentucky, spurning offers from

Duke Duke is a male title either of a monarch ruling over a duchy, or of a member of royalty, or nobility. As rulers, dukes are ranked below emperors, kings, grand princes, grand dukes, and sovereign princes. As royalty or nobility, they are ran ...

Florida State Florida State University (FSU) is a public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida. Founded in 1851, it is located on the oldest continuous site of higher e ...

Missouri Missouri is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it is bordered by eight states (tied for the most with Tennessee ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and So ...

. He also turned down a professional offer to play in the Chinese Basketball Association as well.

College career

In his freshman season, Knox led the Wildcats to a 10-8 conference record, finishing fourth in the SEC, and led the team with 15.9 points per game. He was named to the All-Rookie and First Team All-SEC teams. The team turned their fortunes around in time to win the

SEC tournament The Southeastern Conference (SEC) sponsors nine men's sports and twelve women's sports. This is a list of conference champions for each sport. Also see the list of SEC national champions. Members The SEC was established on December 1932, when t ...

, with Knox totaling 18 points and 7 rebounds in the final game against

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

. In the 2018 NCAA men's basketball tournament with Virginia losing to Maryland-Baltimore County, Cincinnati losing to Nevada, Tennessee losing to Loyola-Chicago, and Buffalo beating Arizona, Kentucky was considered to have an easier path to the Final Four but Kansas State beat them, with Kevin Knox posting 13 points and 8 rebounds. On April 6, 2018, Knox declared for the

and hired an agent, forgoing his final three years of college eligibility.

Professional career

New York Knicks (2018–2022)

Knox was selected with the ninth overall pick by the

in the

. On July 5, 2018, the Knicks announced that they had signed Knox. On October 17, he made his NBA debut, coming off the bench in a 126–107 win over the Atlanta Hawks with ten points, two steals and a block. Two days later, Knox scored team-high 17 points with six rebounds in a 107–105 loss to the

Brooklyn Nets The Brooklyn Nets are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Nets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference. The t ...

. One day later, he sprained his left ankle in a 103–101 loss to the

Boston Celtics The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of t ...

. Knox returned to action and on December 1, scoring a career-high 26 points with four rebounds, four assists, a steal and a block in a 136–134 overtime win over the

Milwaukee Bucks The Milwaukee Bucks are an American professional basketball team based in Milwaukee. The Bucks compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded in 1968 ...

. In January 2019, Knox received the Eastern Conference's

NBA Rookie of the Month Award The T-Mobile National Basketball Association Rookie of the Month Award is presented monthly by the league to honor the top rookie in both conferences (Eastern Conference (NBA), Eastern and Western Conference (NBA), Western conferences) in a particu ...

for games played in December 2018. On January 13, 2019, he scored a career-high 31 points with seven rebounds, and two steals in a 108–105 loss to the

Philadelphia 76ers The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eas ...

. On December 21, 2019, Knox recorded a season-high 19 points, alongside four rebounds, two steals and three blocks, in a 123–102 loss to the

. Knox's percentages dropped during his sophomore season, as he only played 17.9 minutes per game whilst averaging 6.4 points per game. On December 21, 2020, the Knicks announced that they exercised their fourth-year option on Knox. On January 11, 2021, Knox scored a season-high 19 points, alongside five rebounds and two assists, in a 109–88 loss to the

Charlotte Hornets The Charlotte Hornets are an American professional basketball team based in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Hornets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division, and pla ...

. During the 2020–21 regular season, the Knicks finished with a 41–31 record and qualified for the playoffs for the first time since

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...

. The Knicks faced the Atlanta Hawks during their first-round series. Knox made his playoff debut on May 30, 2021, scoring two points in a 113–96 Game 4 loss. The Knicks ended up losing the series in five games. On December 12, 2021, Knox scored a season-high 18 points, alongside five rebounds, in a 112–97 loss to the

Atlanta Hawks (2022)

On January 13, 2022, the Knicks traded Knox and a protected future first-round pick to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for future teammate

Cam Reddish Cameron Elijah Reddish (born September 1, 1999) is an American basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils. He was selected 10th overall by t ...

, Solomon Hill, a 2025 second-round pick and cash considerations. Knox made his Hawks debut on January 19, scoring two points in a 134–122 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Hawks qualified for the postseason and faced the Miami Heat during their first-round series. On April 17, Knox scored a playoff career-high 10 points, alongside two rebounds, in a 115–91 Game 1 loss. He surpassed this total on April 24, scoring 12 points in a 110–86 Game 4 loss. The Hawks ended up losing the series in five games.

Detroit Pistons (2022–2023)

On August 1, 2022, Knox signed with the Detroit Pistons. He made his Pistons debut on October 19, recording three points and three rebounds in a 113–109 win over the

Orlando Magic The Orlando Magic are an American professional basketball team based in Orlando, Florida. The Magic compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The franchise was establ ...

. On November 23, Knox scored a season-high 21 points, alongside three rebounds and a career-high six 3-pointers, in a 125–116 win over the Utah Jazz.

Portland Trail Blazers (2023–present)

On February 9, 2023, Knox was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers in a four-team trade involving the Atlanta Hawks and

Golden State Warriors The Golden State Warriors are an American professional basketball team based in San Francisco. The Warriors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. Founded in 194 ...

. He made his Trail Blazers debut on February 13, recording four points and two rebounds in a 127–115 win over the

Los Angeles Lakers The Los Angeles Lakers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Lakers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Pacific Division. The Lakers play their ...

National team career

Knox won two gold medals with USA Basketball at the

2015 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship The 2015 FIBA Americas Under-16 Championship was the men's international basketball competition that was held in Bahia Blanca, Argentina Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country ...

and

2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship The 2016 FIBA Under-17 World Championship (Spanish: 2016 FIBA Campeonato Mundial Sub-17) was the 4th edition of the FIBA Under-17 World Championship, the biennial international men's youth basketball championship contested by the U17 national team ...

Career statistics

NBA

Regular season

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New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

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, 65 , , 4 , , 17.9 , , .359 , , .327 , , .653 , , 2.8 , , .9 , , .4 , , .4 , , 6.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

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Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

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Detroit Detroit ( , ; , ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is also the largest U.S. city on the United States–Canada border, and the seat of government of Wayne County. The City of Detroit had a population of 639,111 at th ...

, 42 , , 1 , , 14.1 , , .469 , , .371 , , .788 , , 2.6 , , .4 , , .3 , , .3 , , 5.6 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 254 , , 62 , , 18.1 , , .379 , , .344 , , .711 , , 2.9 , , .7 , , .4 , , .3 , , 7.4

Playoffs

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2022 File:2022 collage V1.png, Clockwise, from top left: Road junction at Yamato-Saidaiji Station several hours after the assassination of Shinzo Abe; 2022 Sri Lankan protests, Anti-government protest in Sri Lanka in front of the Presidential Secretari ...

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College

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Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

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Personal life

Knox II is the son of former NFL receiver Kevin Knox. His younger brother, Kobe, plays college basketball for

Grand Canyon The Grand Canyon (, yuf-x-yav, Wi:kaʼi:la, , Southern Paiute language: Paxa’uipi, ) is a steep-sided canyon carved by the Colorado River in Arizona, United States. The Grand Canyon is long, up to wide and attains a depth of over a m ...

in his freshman season. On September 4, 2018,

Puma Puma or PUMA may refer to: Animals * ''Puma'' (genus), a genus in the family Felidae ** Puma (species) or cougar, a large cat Businesses and organisations * Puma (brand), a multinational shoe and sportswear company * Puma Energy, a mid- and d ...

signed Knox to a multi-year endorsement deal.

References

External links

Kentucky Wildcats bio

USA Basketball bio
{{DEFAULTSORT:Knox, Kevin 1999 births Living people 21st-century African-American sportspeople African-American basketball players American men's basketball players Atlanta Hawks players Basketball players from Tampa, Florida Detroit Pistons players Kentucky Wildcats men's basketball players McDonald's High School All-Americans New York Knicks draft picks New York Knicks players Portland Trail Blazers players Power forwards (basketball) Small forwards