Report: John Calipari has warned Knicks’ Leon Rose not to trade Kevin Knox
John Calipari is standing up for one of his former Kentucky Wildcats.
Marc Berman of the New York Post reported Saturday that New York Knicks president Leon Rose still does not know what to make of forward Kevin Knox or if he will be a part of their future. This is despite Calipari, who is close with Rose, having warned him not to trade the 20-year-old.
Knox, New York’s former No. 9 overall pick, has slowed for the Knicks in his second NBA season, averaging a paltry 6.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 17.9 minutes a game. He also failed to become a starter upon interim coach Mike Miller taking over for the fired David Fizdale in December, something that Berman says frustrated Knox’s inner circle.
That said, Knox was a star for Calipari during his one-and-done season at Kentucky in 2017-18, leading the team in scoring as they made another run to the Sweet Sixteen. While this may be more of a “you’ll regret it” message than an ultimatum, Calipari is close enough with Rose that his name recently popped up in rumors linking him to the Knicks’ head coaching job.
