The Detroit Pistons have put together an impressive collection of talented young players on their roster, but they are still deep in the middle of their rebuild as their 2-6 record indicates. The Pistons opted to add another young player to fold on Wednesday afternoon when they reunited with Kevin Knox, despite the fact they traded him away just a few months ago.
After struggling to find a role with the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks, Knox signed with the Pistons last year and was a decent shooter for them off the bench, hitting 46.9 percent of his shots from the field and 37.1 percent of his threes. Knox was traded to the Trail Blazers where he played a bit of a bigger role, but after he went through the offseason without finding a new home, he opted to return to Detroit on a one-year deal.
Via Shams Charania:
“Free agent forward Kevin Knox has agreed to a one-year deal with the Detroit Pistons, sources tell The Athletic. Knox returns to Detroit, where he played 42 games a season ago.”
Kevin Knox once again could find himself growing alongside the Pistons
After being taken with the ninth overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft by the Knicks, Knox has struggled to find a role for himself in the NBA to this point. While his per game numbers weren't explosive with the Pistons last year (5.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 0.4 APG, 46.9 FG%), his shooting splits show that he could be primed for a bigger role if he can continue to shoot the ball effectively.
Given how he is joining the Pistons a bit late here, Knox will likely have to work on re-integrating himself into the team over the next few weeks. But after being a solid bench piece for them last season, Knox's return to Detroit should be a welcome sight. At just 24 years old, Knox still has time to figure things out, and the Pistons might be the perfect team to help him accomplish that.