Kentucky Basketball: John Calipari made the case for Kevin Knox to pass on NBA Draft

The Kevin Knox NBA Draft saga just got even juicer as the freshman forward mulls over his future.

We already know Knox and his family are open to another year of college basketball in Lexington, and we also know Knox is genuinely torn about the decision.

But what about John Calipari?

It’s no secret that Calipari tends to advocate for his players to enter the draft if they’re projected lottery picks, which Knox is.

But Knox is in a different situation, one that has Calipari actually making the case for a sophomore season in Lexington, according to SEC Country’s Kyle Tucker. Calipari isn’t just telling Knox to go pro, but is instead making a pitch for Knox to return and how beneficial it could be.

That’s huge news, because again, Calipari tends to encourage guys like Knox to enter the draft and make millions of dollars now.

Heck, Calipari did the same thing last year with Bam Adebayo, whose draft projection had him going in the late first round range before he was surprisingly taken 14th overall by the Miami Heat.

Bam initially declared for the draft but didn’t sign with an agent, keeping open the possibility he could return. But Calipari urged him to sign and go all in on the draft process, and it ended up paying off big time.

But Bam and his family grew up in much rougher conditions, and they needed the money then and there.

Knox and his family are good in that regard, so there’s no urgency for Knox to make money now.

It’s still going to be hard for Knox to pass on being a lottery pick this year, but there’s now a very real chance he does just that.

Be sure to read Tucker’s full writeup, which includes some great quotes from Kevin Knox Sr. on his son’s NBA decision and what a return to UK would mean.

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