"Thought this was Kevin Durant" - NBA fans abuzz over Warriors signing ex-lottery pick right before All-Star break

After the Golden State Warriors acquired Jimmy Butler from the Miami Heat on the week of the trade deadline, the team continued to look for pieces that could give them an extra boost. One of the players that has caught their attention is former lottery pick Kevin Knox, who is putting up good numbers in the G League.

On Friday, Anthony Slater of "The Athletic" confirmed on X that the Warriors would be giving this player an opportunity:

Knox, who played at Kentucky in college, was the ninth overall pick by the New York Knicks in the 2018 NBA Draft.

Despite the solid production of Knox in the G League, some netizens weren't too impressed with this move:

"lol the notification came and I saw Kevin. Thought this was Kevin Durant @KDTrey5. I don't like this turn lol," wrote one netizen on X.

"Weren't they going to be aggressive in the buyout? They will end up signing a guy from the gleague," said another.

"Can he COVER big wings??," questioned another netizen.

Other online users, meanwhile, were a bit more positive about Knox's signing:

"He’s exactly what the bench needs. Glad the team is giving him a chance," said one online user.

"Good depth move," commented another.

"Finally bro much deserved he’s been balling," said another.

In the five-team trade that landed Butler in the Bay Area, the Warriors lost wing players like Andrew Wiggins, Kyle Anderson, and Lindy Waters III. The arrival of the 6-foot-7 Knox allows the Dubs to beef up their wing rotation that's led by Butler and Jonathan Kuminga.

Golden State Warriors head coach on Kevin Durant's reluctance to return: "Why would he want to face all that B.S. again?"

Of course, the Warriors were once the home of another Kevin, one who was linked to trade talks that fizzled out reportedly because he refused to come to Golden State again.

Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, who coached Kevin Durant during Golden State's back-to-back title campaigns in the late 2010s, empathized with Durant's decision:

"He took so much s--- for like, 'Oh, you're jumping on the bandwagon,'" Kerr told ESPN. "And then he's Finals MVP two years in a row. It's like he still gets criticized. So why would he want to face all that B.S. again?"

It remains to be seen whether Durant will feel the same way if the Phoenix Suns push through with their plans to trade him in the upcoming offseason.