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Cavaliers workout Kentucky forward Kevin Knox

By Evan Dammarell

ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: Kevin Knox #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats handles the ball against Xavier Sneed #20 of the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
ATLANTA, GA - MARCH 22: Kevin Knox #5 of the Kentucky Wildcats handles the ball against Xavier Sneed #20 of the Kansas State Wildcats in the first half during the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament South Regional at Philips Arena on March 22, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /
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The Cleveland Cavaliers are leaving no stone unturned in the 2018 NBA Draft when they brought in Kentucky forward Kevin Knox for a workout. If drafted by Cleveland, Knox would be an interesting addition to a championship ball club.

In preparation for the 2018 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers brought in Kentucky forward Kevin Knox for a workout last week:

Knox, who played one season in Lexington, averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists. Knox was an offensive star for the Wildcats as he was able to showcase an ability to hurt defenses in a myriad of ways.

The best game of his collegiate career came against then-#7 West Virginia:

As mentioned before, Knox will earn his paycheck in the Association because of his scoring ability. His jump shot, especially beyond the arc, looked fluid mechanically and he connected on 34% of his three-point attempts per game. He also has a near-unstoppable floater, which is always a welcome sight for an offensively-anemic Cavaliers team.

Besides of his offensive prowess, Knox also possesses great physical attributes. At 6’9″, 215 pounds, and possessing a 7’0″ wingspan, Knox utilizes all three to assist his knack for scoring. During his time with Kentucky, Knox would often run the fast break off of a defensive rebound and score with relative ease.

While his offensive gifts are his brightest attributes, it also leads to Knox’s downfall. During his time with Kentucky, Knox appeared to suffer from a serious case of the Rodney Hoods. By that, whenever Knox was feeling it, he looked unstoppable. But, when his shot was not falling, he appeared apathetic and unwilling to hustle up and down the floor.

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When the apathy set in, it also translated to Knox’s defense. He never properly used his physical gifts when feeling down, and the Wildcats suffered. While not having a high motor is a concern, in the right situation it is fixable for Knox.

The other biggest knock on Knox is that he is not even the best small forward in his draft class. Leading up to the draft, Knox has drawn plenty of comparisons to both Michigan State’s Miles Bridges and Villanova’s Mikal Bridges. Knox is the least explosive offensively of the three or as capable of a defender as the two Bridges.

While Knox is a fluid shooter, the fact that he is clearly a tier below both Bridges would make Knox a serious reach at #8. While it is not the first time the Cavaliers have reached on a player, the only logical way the team drafts Knox is if they move down in the draft. Most sites have Knox being selected in the 12-15 range, and that is the ideal landing place for him.

But, if the Cavaliers do draft Knox in the upcoming draft, there some things he brings to the table. Outside of Kyle Korver and Kevin Love, the Cavaliers do not have steady three-point shooters. As mentioned before Knox has showcased an ability to score from beyond the arc and can find plenty of open looks in The Land.

The reason Knox would get so many open looks? Playing alongside LeBron James. Fifteen years into his career, it is pretty obvious the best players to put alongside James are three-point shooters. A unit that contains James, Knox, Korver, and Love would be wild offensively and would run opponents off the floor.

Speaking of James, Knox would be a great backup for the King. This season, Cleveland has leaned on Jeff Green and JR Smith in relief of James and it provided mixed results. Knox would inject some youth to the Cavs bench and could soak up extra minutes to give James time to rest.

But, all of what Knox brings to the table does come with a catch. When the draft rolls around Knox will only be 18. If the Cavaliers bring back LeBron James and their Eastern Conference Champion core, Knox will be lagging behind. Due to his youth, Knox would be a huge reach at eighth overall.

The silver lining to this is the fact that Knox could realistically be picked up if the Cavaliers make a big trade on draft night. One player that is likely on the team’s big board is Los Angeles Clippers center DeAndre Jordan. If the Cavs were able to trade for Jordan using the eighth overall pick, they would likely bring back one of the Clippers two firsts. The Cavaliers bringing in both Jordan and Knox would be quite the haul.

In the end, Kentucky forward Kevin Knox would be a nice addition to the Cavaliers. There are questions about his motor, youth, and athleticism, but his intangibles balance that out. After acclimating to the NBA game, Knox would be a spark offensively off the bench.

Next: Ranking the top three backcourt prospects in the 2018 Draft

He could serve a role similar to Will Barton with the Denver Nuggets, and would in time be part of the team’s championship core.