DETROIT – Aug. 2, 2022 – The Detroit Pistons announced today that the team has signed forward Kevin Knox and re-signed guard Rodney McGruder. Per team policy, terms of the contract were not disclosed.
Knox, 6-7, 215, suited up for the Atlanta Hawks and New York Knicks in 2021-22, totaling 3.1 points and 1.5 rebounds in 7.4 minutes over 30 games. Knox played in two games for the Hawks in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, recording double-digit scoring in both outings while shooting .636 from the floor and .600 from distance in postseason action.
The Phoenix native was traded on Jan. 13 of this previous season from New York to Atlanta after spending three-plus NBA seasons with the Knicks. In his rookie campaign with New York in 2018-19, Knox tallied clips of 12.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.1 assists in 28.8 minutes through 75 games (57 starts). He holds career averages of 7.7 points and 2.9 rebounds in 18.9 minutes over 212 NBA games (61 starts).
Drafted ninth overall by New York in the 2018 NBA Draft, Knox played collegiately for one season at Kentucky where he earned SEC Rookie of the Year while being named to the SEC All-Freshman and All-SEC Tournament First Team in 2017-18.
McGruder, 6-4, 205, has averaged 5.4 points, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 14.1 minutes through 67 games (four starts) for Detroit from 2020-22. McGruder holds shooting clips of .458 from the field and .406 from 3-point range while with the Pistons over the last two seasons. His 3-point shooting percentage marks the fifth-highest in Pistons history by a player with a minimum of 150 3-point attempts. The six-year NBA veteran was originally acquired by Detroit from the L.A. Clippers via a three-team trade also involving the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 19, 2020.
Following a four-year career at Kansas State where he was selected to All-Big 12 teams three times, McGruder made his NBA debut for the Miami HEAT on Oct. 26, 2016. He went on to play three seasons for Miami before suiting up for the Clippers for the 2019-20 campaign. He has posted career averages of 5.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 19.8 minutes over 285 NBA games (120 starts) and has played in nine NBA Playoff contests across two playoff appearances, one with each of his former teams.
-pistons.com-
