The Orlando Magic
Kentucky forward, a Tampa native, part of draft prospect workout
worked out six draft prospects at Amway Center on Tuesday, including Kentucky’s Kevin Knox, who grew up in Tampa.
Kevin Knox can trace his path onto NBA teams’ draft boards through Orlando.
Knox, a 6-foot-9 forward, grew up in the Tampa area. His family occasionally made the traffic jammed ride eastbound on Interstate 4 to the City Beautiful for high-level youth basketball tournaments.
On Tuesday, his path to the pros wound through Orlando again.
The Orlando Magic hosted Knox and five other prospects for a workout at Amway Center. The Magic own the sixth, 35th and 41st picks in the upcoming NBA Draft. Since some draft analysts rank Knox as the draft’s 14th-best player, it seems unlikely Orlando will select him. But on Tuesday, it was fun for Knox to envision a possible NBA future near his parents, siblings and extended family.
“Growing up in Tampa, it’s only an hour away from here,” Knox said. “It’s kind of a quick drive to come out here, so it’d be nice to come out here to come to the Orlando Magic. It’s real close to home, convenient for my family. A
lot of my family is down south in Miami and could be able to come up and watch me play. So it’d be really fun to play in Orlando because it’s really a hometown city for me.”
Almost two months shy of his 19th birthday, Knox remains a somewhat raw prospect who nonetheless led the talent-laden Kentucky Wildcats in scoring during his one-and-done season, averaging 15.6 points per game on 44.5 percent shooting.
The Magic already have depth at the forward spots, including upcoming restricted free agent Aaron Gordon, second-year player Jonathan Isaac and veteran small forward Evan Fournier.
Knox knows Isaac well. They played together on Each 1 Teach 1, a powerhouse youth travel team.
Isaac has given Knox advice leading into the draft, but Knox also doesn’t have to look outside his family for wisdom.
His dad, Kevin Knox Sr., played wide receiver at Florida State, was picked in the sixth round of the 1994
“So it’d be really fun to play in Orlando because it’s really a hometown city for me.” Former Kentucky forward Kevin Knox
NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills and played one season for the Arizona Cardinals.
“He’s been to the highest level,” the younger Knox said. “He knows what it takes to get there. He gives me a lot of knowledge, and I just take it all in. He tells me to keep my circle small, stay humble, stay level-headed, don’t listen to the outsiders.”
Five other players worked out Tuesday alongside Knox at Amway Center: Houston point guard Rob Gray, UT-Arlington swingman Kevin Hervey, Missouri State power forward Alize Johnson, North Carolina swingman Theo Pinson and Wichita State point guard Landry Shamet.
But Knox was the highest-profile prospect.
On Monday night, Magic President of Basketball Operations Jeff Weltman and Magic General Manager John Hammond took Knox out to dinner.
Knox said he already has worked out for the Cleveland Cavaliers and has workouts scheduled with the New York Knicks over the weekend and the Chicago Bulls on Tuesday.
“The physicality in college was rough,” Knox said. “At Kentucky, you’ve got to play tough, you’ve got to be able to fight every game you play. So coming to the NBA it’s definitely going to be a different transition. It’s really physical in the NBA, but that’s something I’m in the weight room a lot [for] this summer, getting my legs stronger, my hips stronger. I’m just getting stronger [in my] upper body because I know I’ve got to be ready for it. But that’s something I’m definitely going to be able to adjust really well to.
“I’m really good at guarding guards. I can guard bigs. So that’s another advantage to me.” jrobbins@ orlandosentinel.com