Knicks head coach Tom Thibodaeu said earlier this week Kevin Knox had “a good summer.’’

Of course, it could’ve been better.

The Knicks’ 2018 lottery pick contracted COVID-19 right before the Las Vegas summer league in early August. He missed the six-game slate after requesting to play in it.

So Knox was removed from a big stage that could’ve increased his trade value — or his value in Thibodeau’s eyes.

The 6-foot-9 forward from Kentucky is entering the final season of his four-year rookie contract.

There have been no talks with his agent toward a rookie contract extension, such as the one bestowed upon Denver’s 2018 first-round pick, Michael Porter, who agreed to a $172 million max extension. The Knicks — and 13 other clubs — passed on Porter in the draft.

Knox will be a restricted free agent in 2022. It’s hard to imagine the Knicks not dealing Knox at the trade deadline if he is not in the rotation again — a strong likelihood.

If the Knicks don’t offer him a $7.9 million qualifying offer in late June, Knox will be an unrestricted free agent.

He is being viewed by the Knicks as more of an emergency stretch-4 and Obi Toppin’s summer-league emergence has solidified his backup slot behind Julius Randle.

Can Knox change the narrative? He has some fans around the league who view him as a potential dynamic bench scorer.

He’s still just 22 — two years younger than Toppin. But it’s unclear what market value he has until he plays. Knox dropped out of the regular rotation in late January.

“I think he falls into the category of incomplete,’’ one team executive said. “Meaning, I don’t know if a lot of teams have an actual value on him right now.’’

Thibodeau could showcase Knox in the preseason, giving him the exposure he missed in summer league.

Knox spent half his offseason in Tarrytown and the other half in his hometown of Tampa, Fla. A source said he had mild COVID-19 symptoms.

The odd part of Knox’s downward journey with the Knicks is he seemed to play well early last season when Toppin was out with a calf injury.

But when Toppin came back, Knox was expendable. Thibodeau went with Toppin, Knicks president Leon Rose’s first-ever draft choice, who had signed with Creative Artists Agency.

Sources have indicated Knox’s low motor and lack of toughness on defense were factors in Thibodeau not playing him.

One NBA scout who loved Knox coming out of Kentucky, however, told The Post: “Tom has to realize not every player has to be tough. You can be a scorer. Not every player on the roster has to be tough.’’

Knox hasn’t been made available to the media since training camp began Monday.

Ten players have spoken to the press, but not the ninth-overall pick from the 2018 draft. In fact, the last time Knox was made available on Zoom was Feb. 3.

“He still could be a good payer,’’ one NBA talent evaluator told The Post. “It’s situational with Kevin. Who knows, if Donovan Mitchell would’ve went somewhere other than Utah, if he would’ve become this player.’’

Knicks assistant Kenny Payne, credited for helping Randle turn into an All-Star, hasn’t had the same success with his former Kentucky charge.

“I think that’s very important right now, just being the best teammate I can be no matter how much playing time I get,” Knox said in February.

The Knicks have a battle for the 15th roster spot. If Thibodeau falls in love with veteran scorer Dwayne Bacon, who knows if Knox would even make the squad if he had a poor preseason.

More likely, Knox could be battling point guard Luca Vildoza for a spot, though the Argentine looks to be in a bad way as he reported to camp with a complicated ankle issue developed during summer league.

Vildoza’s inability to play right now leads to the notion Knox will be safe — unless the Knicks can work out a trade. One source said the Knox camp is being patient, waiting for this to play out.

Last season, in 42 games, Knox shot 39.3 percent from 3-point range (35-for-89) but rarely took the ball hard to the basket — an attribute he showed during his first summer league in 2018, when the NBA was excited about Knox’s future.

Now, Knox is just battling to survive. Kenny Walker, the former Kentucky forward and former Knicks lottery pick who also never made it, knows what Knox is going through.

“I’m a little concerned about Kevin Knox,’’ Walker told The Post recently. “He played at Kentucky for one year and had high expectations when they drafted him. He hasn’t lived up to those expectations. You hear, ‘Will he be back next year?’ I hope he can hang in there and not get discouraged and block out the noise. You got to have thick skin to play New York. It’s the toughest audience in the NBA.’’