5-star recruit Kevin Knox turned down $1.4 million to play in college instead of overseas

Kevin Knox was offered $1.4 million by a professional basketball team in China to go pro as soon as he graduates from high school, according to an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. He turned it down without much thought.

Wait, what?

This offer was made knowing that Knox would only be around for a season before going to the NBA, like Brandon Jennings and Emmanuel Mudiay before him. The $1.4 million offered is a lot of money to make in one year for anyone, but especially coming out of high school. However, bypassing college was never really on the table for Knox.

“I didn’t put much stock into the offer,” his dad said to the Tampa Bay Times. “We politely said thanks but no thanks. He’s going to college.”

The five-star small forward will instead take the college route to the NBA, where he will likely be a one-and-done. He’s currently the No. 8 player in the class of 2017, according to 247sports.com, and also one of the top uncommitted recruits in the country. Duke, North Carolina, and Kentucky are getting most of the Crystal Ball predictions, but Knox won’t announce his decision until April 28 or May 1.

Since the age requirement for the NBA Draft was implemented in 2005, a small number of elite high school recruits have chosen to eschew college for a basketball gap-year after high school. Jennings was first when he chose to play in Italy in 2009, after his SAT scores had him deemed academically ineligible for the NCAA. He instead earned $1.2 million in contracts and endorsements that season, according to the New York Times.

Mudiay was the next notable recruit to follow, playing in the Chinese Basketball League after he graduated in 2014, earning a $1.2 million contract from the team. Though slightly different, last season, Thon Maker won a petition to enter the draft due to age, after spending a season at a prep school in Canada. This season, Terrance Ferguson signed a shoe deal with Under Armour and played in the Australian National Basketball League instead of college. Jennings, Mudiay, and Maker were all lottery selections, and Ferguson is currently projected to go in the middle of the first round this year.

For now, Knox will participate in the Jordan Brand Classic Friday night, then make a decision on where he’ll play next season in the coming weeks. But sheesh, $1.4 million is a lot to leave on the table.