Tyler Kolek's Quiet Finals Won't Change Much for Him and Knicks

There's reason for Knicks optimism with Tyler Kolek. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Though every Knicks player ended the season winning a championship, it'd be no surprise if some had bittersweet feelings about the Finals. Several contributors didn't play up to their standards, which will leave regrets and even cause future consequences.

Meanwhile, a few didn't get the chance to play at all, like second-year guard Tyler Kolek. But there's reason to see his Finals DNP as zero indictment on his standing with the team, both now and moving forward.

Tyler Kolek's Knicks future is still plenty promising despite Finals DNPs

The 2025-26 season was a step in the right direction for Kolek. Under Mike Brown, he saw a bump in playing time to double-digit minutes per game, and he rewarded his new coach to the tune of 4.4 ppg, 2.7 apg, and 1.6 rpg.

While those aren't All-Star numbers, they do represent a marked improvement across the board from his rookie year. They also show more hints of Kolek being a legitimate playmaker in the pros given how well he set his teammates up, even in limited time.

He also flashed his potential when given larger runways this season, such as his near-triple-double on Dec. 23, which featured 20 points and 11 rebounds. Or on Christmas Day, where he made big plays en route to a thrilling 126-124 win and a 16-point, nine-assist effort.

Ultimately, Kolek's relatively successful sophomore campaign didn't lead to much of a role in the playoffs. He only played in eight of the team's 19 postseason games and earned just 53 total minutes. But again, he made the most when he did have an extended opportunity.

In the four contests he saw at least seven minutes, Kolek averaged 6.5 ppg and 2.5 apg. While this did come in garbage time against opponents' deep reserves, Kolek being productive against lesser competition is exactly what any team wants to see from a player hoping to crack the rotation.

And though Kolek didn't appear in the Finals, Brown wasn't afraid to play him if it came to that. New York's head coach revealed that when Jalen Brunson went to the locker room in Game 1, he was preparing to put Kolek on the floor to spell Jose Alvarado, who had entered in place of Brunson. That's a good sign for a player who many might've thought wouldn't come off the bench in a Finals atmosphere.

Moving forward from the championship, Kolek is a shoo-in to be part of the regular-season rotation given the depth he provides at little cost to a cash-strapped team. There's also room for his role to grow entering his third year, depending on what happens this offseason.

The aforementioned Alvarado owns a player option for 2026-27, which he could decline if he expects a bigger market for his services after helping turn the tide in the Finals. That'd leave Kolek in line to suddenly be the main backup PG should Alvarado depart.

Even if Alvarado stays, he'd then be on an expiring deal and an upcoming unrestricted free agent next summer. That makes having a replacement ready a sneaky need in the near future, so that's a major reason for New York to give Kolek even more run in his third campaign to prepare him for that potential promotion.

Also, the Knicks seeing a double-PG lineup of Alvarado and Brunson work against the Spurs opens the door for more opportunities for Kolek next season as Brown's staff explores that concept further. This postseason made it abundantly clear New York needs secondary ball-handlers it can trust, as Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride failed at that job, which only helps Kolek's case as he seeks another minutes increase in 2026-27.

With Brown showing commitment to getting more from the bench than the past regime, and potential for a few bench pieces to be on the move, Kolek is in a great position to carve out a larger role in spite of his Finals DNPs.