4 recent lottery picks the Lakers can sign in free agency

3. Kevin Knox

Kevin Knox is a restricted free agent this offseason so in theory, the Atlanta Hawks could match any offer that he agrees to and a minimum contract obviously would not restrict Atlanta financially.

However, that being said, Atlanta’s roster is already rather full and the team could pivot and look to use the roster spot elsewhere. If Knox actually played a role on the Hawks last season it would be one thing but he didn’t. He was traded to Atlanta as part of the Cam Reddish trade and he only averaged 6.5 minutes per game with the team.

Knox is a perfect example of a lottery pick that has just been dealt a horrible hand thus far in his career. Granted, his play has not helped his cause but he was drafted by a bad Knicks organization that cannot develop players and failed Knox as a player.

He was taken with the ninth overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft and there was a lot of intrigue around him at the time. Heck, The Ringer’s Kevin O’Conner wrote that he had shades of Tobias Harris, Al Harrington and Jeff Green in his draft profile. Those are good comparisons.

Knox was extremely young when he was drafted in 2018 and he is still only 22 years old at the time of writing this article. There is still potential in Knox, he just has to find the right team to unlock it.

The Lakers are a team that needs a backup four that can space the floor and in theory, Knox could become a Kyle Kuzma clone for the Lakers if he can be an average defender, hit his shots and slash to the rim.