The New York Knicks have fully bounced back from the slump that saw them win just two of eleven games. In their sixth-straight win, a 112-100 defeat of the Los Angeles Lakers, second-year point guard Tyler Kolek continued a major trend. The table-setter just keeps showing up in big games. Despite some shooting struggles, his two 3-pointers and four assists were key to the Knicks coming out of their bout with Luka Dončić and LeBron James victorious.
Bright lights bring the best out of Kolek (again)
Kolek played 14 minutes against the Lakers, scoring eight points on 3-10 shooting. He also contributed two rebounds and four assists, but the two 3-pointers he made out of his six attempts were perhaps his largest additions to New York's victory.
It was a continuation of his tendency to come up big in the Knicks' biggest games. He logged 14 points, five rebounds, and five assists in the NBA Cup Championship against the San Antonio Spurs. Even though those stats don't count toward his official season averages, both of the 3-pointers he made in that game mattered very much.
On Christmas Day, Kolek had seven assists in the eight second-quarter minutes he played against the Cleveland Cavaliers. He scored 16 mintutes in his 25 total minutes of game time, finishing with nine assists. He also made four of his five 3-point attempts, helping the Knicks come out on top.
The game against the Lakers improved their record in big-time games that featured big-time Kolek performances to 3-0. It also came at a convenient time for the sophomore guard, with the NBA trade deadline coming up on Thursday. Kolek's been in trade rumors since the offseason, when the Knicks faced a potential roster crunch ahead of Malcolm Brogdon's surprise retirement.
If he keeps playing like this in big moments, though, it's hard to imagine the front office being willing to trade him for anything other than a significant upgrade. The guard is signed through next season and has a team option for the 2027-28 season, that reportedly comes in at slightly less than $2.5 million for that year.
Kolek's team-friendly deal is extra valuable in the era of the second apron. While he hasn't shown as much two-way value as someone like his teammate Deuce McBride, the Knicks should view the two guards similarly in the sense that the size of their contracts is a significant part of their value to the team.
The Knicks might have to go into the second apron next season, with Mitchell Robinson's contract set to expire at the end of the year. He's been integral to their recent wins and the team facing championship-level expectations makes it hard to justify letting their longest-tenured big walk.
Holding onto Kolek should be a priority for the team at the deadline, unless he's the only thing stopping them from acquiring someone like Naji Marshall from the Dallas Mavericks.