The Knicks may have just gotten a little breathing room with Tyler Kolek.
Jack Kayil’s announcement on Friday that he has signed a five-year agreement with Alba Berlin takes him out of the picture for the time being, officially making the Knicks’ first 2026 draft pick a draft-and-stash prospect. That matters because Kayil had already created the possibility of a guard logjam after turning heads at Summer League, and his ineligibility for a two-way deal was never in doubt because of his contract with Alba Berlin.
For New York, the ripple effect is pretty simple: if Kayil were going to spend the 2026-27 season in the United States, it would have required the Knicks to use their “last” roster spot on him instead of keeping that slot available for another center. Another path would be moving someone like Tyler Kolek to help fill the team’s need for depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
That possibility still exists, but the clock is ticking and the market is narrowing. For now, Kolek remains in the mix.
Mike Brown’s handling of Kolek last season made that much clear. The second-year guard was on the floor on opening night, but it didn’t take long for him to slip out of the rotation. Brown was blunt early about the issue, saying defense would be the main hurdle standing between Kolek and consistent minutes, and the season played out accordingly.
Still, whenever the Knicks needed him in the biggest spots, Kolek showed he could answer the call. He delivered in the NBA Cup Championship against the San Antonio Spurs, on Christmas Day against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and again in an early February home game against LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers.
Brown also showed he was willing to lean on Kolek when the lineup got thin, even using young players in the starting group when regular rotation pieces were unavailable. That approach gave Kolek and Mohamed Diawara real chances to develop while the pressure inside Madison Square Garden stayed at full throttle.
And that’s why Kolek isn’t out of the picture yet, even with Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado, and Jordan Clarkson ahead of him on the depth chart to open the 2026-27 season. Brown has already shown he’ll trust Kolek in meaningful moments, and with the Knicks entering the year as champions, opportunities should still come - maybe through injuries, maybe through a trade, maybe both.
The Knicks are now chasing something no team has done in nine years: repeat. In a league shaped by the second apron and a flattened competitive field, that’s no easy road. But for Kolek, the title defense could still come with another chance to prove he belongs.
In Other News...
OG Anunoby Could Unlock A More Dangerous Knicks Offense
OG Anunoby has already changed the Knicks look on one end, giving them the kind of length, strength and discipline that can make possessions miserable for opponents. The broader question now is what happens if that same level of force shows up more often on offense, where his physical tools should translate just as well when he is attacking instead of waiting to be found.
There is a reason the idea matters for New York. Anunoby has shown he can absorb contact and stay balanced against hard defense, which makes him a natural fit for a more assertive role in the scoring mix. If he starts taking more proactive chances with the ball and putting pressure on defenses earlier in possessions, the Knicks could become harder to load up against and a lot less predictable when the game tightens. [Read more 🡒]
Josh Hart Gives Knicks A Tough Decision In Their Biggest Moments
Josh Hart has become one of the Knicks most useful players because he does a little bit of everything the roster asks for. He can rebound, defend multiple spots and help move the offense along as a secondary playmaker, which is why his value tends to show up most clearly when games get tight and possessions get heavier. For a team that has spent so much time leaning on effort and versatility, Hart fits the identity almost too well.
Still, the Knicks also have to think about the bigger picture with him now that the roster is deeper and the roles are more defined than they were before. Hart remains the kind of player you want on the floor when the game is on the line, but the challenge is making sure he gets there fresh enough to matter most. The balance is no longer about whether he belongs in those moments, but how carefully the Knicks should manage him so he can keep swinging them. [Read more 🡒]