Somewhat lost amid the New York Knicks’ immediate pursuit of a title and their headlining issues is a subtle-but-important problem: They can’t find playing time for Tyler Kolek or Pacome Dadiet—their only prospects.
This is an area in which Tom Thibodeau always struggled. It isn’t clear whether head coach Mike Brown will do any better.
If the early projections are any indication, player development won’t be much of a priority. James L. Edwards III of The Athletic recently whipped out his crystal ball, and attempted to hammer out the Knicks’ 2025-26 rotation. He predicts that Brown will end up playing nine guys on a regular basis, a group that features everyone you think it does: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Deuce McBride, Guerschon Yabusele, and Jordan Clarkson.
This doesn’t leave much room for Kolek or Dadiet. Not even expanding the rotation guarantees them an opportunity. New York currently has room to offer another veteran’s minimum contract, and its preference for adding a guard doesn’t bode well for Kolek specifically.
The Knicks need cheap youth
Mystery-box prospects and general fliers do not often crack the every-night rotation for contenders. Harping on the Knicks propensity for leaning toward their most proven players risks making mountains of molehills.
Then again, hitting on cost-controlled youngsters has become more critical in the Era of Aprons. New York has bought itself more time than most, thanks to the extreme sacrifice made by Jalen Brunson, and a front office that includes salary-cap magician Brock Aller. But the bill will come due next summer. Though extending Mikal Bridges was a necessary move, it will force tough roster decisions upon the Knicks as they barrel into the logistically punitive second apron.
That is why someone like McBride has become so valuable. He is a legitimate rotation player, under team control through 2026-27, who will never earn 4 percent of the salary cap on his current deal.
Dadiet and Kolek fall into the same boat. Both are under club control through 2027-28, and neither will make even 3 percent of the salary cap during that time. Getting any production from players like them doesn’t negate potential financial crunches, but makes it easier to stomach personnel losses, or to flesh out a rotation amid top-heavy expenses.
This could come back to bite the Knicks
New York cannot view Kolek or Dadiet as an answer to any of its present or future problems. This roster needs a backup point guard play and general wing depth, which they in theory provide. But they will remain very much theories unless more gameplay reps are given—or earned.
That’s apparently not on the menu this season. The Knicks themselves essentially already confirmed that Kolek and Dadiet face an uphill battle for even semi-regular rotation spots.
This might be the correct in-the-moment stance. It could also be an indictment of Dadiet and Kolek themselves, and their lack of progress behind the scenes. Regardless of the why, it doesn’t change the problem: The Knicks’ long-term player development is currently lacking, and if Brown isn’t able to resolve it in tandem with the immediacy of their timeline, it’s going to come back and haunt them later.