The Knicks have a massive decision looming. If they want to sign multiple veterans on non-guaranteed contracts to their final roster, they need to make a trade to create space. In the Knicks' 120-103 preseason loss to the Wizards, Tyler Kolek reminded them that it could mean trading away a key future piece for a veteran whose best days are behind them.
The Knicks are pushing all of their chips to the center of the table. They believe they can win a championship, so much so that it has become publicly known that the front office is shopping two of their youngest players with the highest upsides in favor of a veteran who has appeared in less than 40 games in each of the last two seasons, in hopes that it will help them win this year.
To be clear, the Knicks could likely be right. Brogdon, assuming he can remain healthy, which is a big assumption, to be fair, is a more impactful player currently than Kolek is. That said, if the Knicks fall short of their goals, they could find themselves with an expensive roster and limited young players and assets to pivot to.
Kolek reminded the Knicks of his upside
While Kolek struggled over the summer in Summer League play, he reminded everyone of the player he can become in the Knicks' preseason loss to Washington.
In just under 23 minutes of playing time, Kolek dropped 20 points, 4 rebounds, and 6 assists. He shot 6-of-8 from two and was perfect from the free-throw line. His outside shooting, something that has plagued him during his young career, was underwhelming, as he hit just one of his five 3-point attempts.
Meanwhile, Brgodon struggled in his 18 minutes of play, finishing with 4 points, 2 rebounds, and 3 assists. The veteran guard shot 2-of-6 from inside the arc and 0-of-1 from outside of it. He also found himself in foul trouble, committing four of them.
The Knicks need stability from Brogdon
If the Knicks do keep Brogdon, which appears to be the case, it won't be for him to score 20 points per game (although that would be nice now and then). They want him to be a steadying presence, to supply much-needed back-up ball-handling ability, to control the tempo, and to run the offense.
The Knicks won't rethink their plan based on one preseason game. That said, it is impossible not to think about what Kolek could turn into if he is the player they opt to move to create space.