The Golden State Warriors have already moved to fill out their roster in the wake of their 4-for-1 Jimmy Butler trade, signing rookie center Quinten Post to a standard contract on Friday.
Post’s elevation from a two-way deal was just reward for impressive form over recent games, having surged into the Warrior rotation and then a starting role over the past five outings.
Signing Kevin Knox II is the obvious next move for the Warriors
If Golden State want to continue rewarding good form, then there’s an obvious next move they should make in signing Kevin Knox II out of their G League program. As they wait for the buyout market to materialize over the coming days, they have the opportunity to sign Knox and then add another player in 10 days to finalize a 14-man rotation.
The former ninth overall pick has been a standout with the Santa Cruz Warriors this season, averaging 22 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game after being waived by Golden State following the conclusion of the preseason.
Knox has only gotten better as the season’s progressed, putting up big numbers in January which helped him win G League Player of the Week. After posting 18.8 points and 7.3 rebounds on 34% 3-point shooting during the tip-off tournament, the 6’7″ forward has put up 26.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.1 assists on 43% from beyond the arc in 11 regular season games.
Knox has proven that he deserves another NBA opportunity, having last played with the Detroit Pistons last season where he averaged 7.2 points in 18.1 minutes. Part of the issue for the 25-year-old is that he never played for a semi-competent franchise, with the Pistons, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Portland Trail Blazers having all been losing organizations during his tenure with those teams.
The Warriors aren’t the powerhouse they once were, but they are still trying to be competitve evidenced by the acquisition of Butler. While Golden State may prefer to target a backup point guard after losing Dennis Schroder, and a veteran stretch big after failing to trade for Nikola Vucevic, they could also do with the wing size, shooting and athleticism that Knox could bring in the aftermatch of Andrew Wiggins’ departure.
Knox is currently dealing with an ankle injury that’s seen him miss the last five G League games, but that shouldn’t eliminate him from another NBA chance which the Warriors can now afford him after the Butler trade.
