In the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks were very active with many assets at their disposal. One of the players they made a move for was guard Tyler Kolek.
It was a very busy couple of days for the New York Knicks. Starting with a blockbuster deal to bring in Mikal Bridges, the Knicks followed up that news with the reported signing of OG Anunoby to a new big deal.
While all that was going on, the Knicks were also preparing for the draft. In the first round, the Knicks came into the night with two draft picks at 24 and 25. However, New York decided to only use one of those selections, as they were moving back and out of the first round.
The decision to trade one of their first-round picks came likely because the team is trying to save as much money as possible to bring back Isaiah Hartenstein. Also, it resulted in the Knicks having a plethora of second-round picks.
Early in the second round, the Knicks decided to make their move, as they traded up to acquire Tyler Kolek from Marquette. With a ton of Villanova players already on the team, Kolek will bring that same Big East mentality with him into the NBA.
At Marquette last season, Kolek had an excellent campaign. He totaled 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game and led the Golden Eagles to the Regional Final in the 2024 NCAA Tournament.
While Tyler Kolek was an excellent passer and playmaker for Marquette, he was also a very efficient scorer. He shot nearly 50 percent from the field and 38.8 percent from beyond the arc. Teams that fouled him he made pay as well, making 85.1 percent from the charity stripe.
Even though Kolek was a second-round selection, he might be able to find a role on what should be a very good Knicks team. Last season, it was pretty apparent when Jalen Brunson was off the court, that the Knicks had some struggles running their offense.
As shown in college, Tyler Kolek is a traditional point guard first, but he can also space the floor well. Kolek feels like one of those players who was penalized for staying in college longer, but he could come in and help the New York Knicks right away.
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