Should the NY Knicks trade Tyler Kolek?

After adding five more guards with NBA experience to their roster ahead of training camp, the New York Knicks are at an intriguing spot at the guard position.

Behind Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart, the Knicks’ guard depth entering the fall includes Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride, Landry Shamet, Garrison Matthews, Tosan Evbuomwan, Malcom Brogdon, Matt Ryan, Pacôme Dadiet, and Tyler Kolek.

Those are 11 guards. Teams are only able to roll into the regular season with 15 players on their active NBA roster, making it impossible to roster all 11 of those guards.

Clarkson and McBride are both clear roster locks, while, according to Kris Pursiainen of Clutch Points, both Brogdon and Shamet had opportunities to sign with other teams but instead chose to land in New York on non-guaranteed deals, which could indicate their level of confidence in landing a roster spot.

Garrison Matthews led the league in catch-and-shoot three-point percentage last year, and with a strong fall, it would be difficult to move off of him, while Tosan Evbuomwan and Matt Ryan are strong candidates for two-way deals.

That leaves Daidet and Kolek as the odd ones out. It could be very difficult for both young players to carve out a role in the Knicks’ rotation this year. While Dadiet has not gotten a fair opportunity to showcase his ability in the NBA, Kolek, a former second-round pick, showed some promise at points in the regular season last year, and as he enters his second year in the NBA, he still possesses upside.

Should the Knicks consider trading Kolek?

Absolutely.

This is not an indication that he can’t do anything in the NBA, nor does he lack the potential to be a rotational piece; he simply does not align with the Knicks’ win-now timeline.

Over the summer, Kolek’s performance was nothing short of sloppy, marred by turnovers and low shooting efficiency.

This is a finals-or-bust year for first-year head coach Mike Brown, and Kolek is not worth keeping around, especially if they are able to acquire some draft capital in return.

For a Knicks team entering a finals-or-bust season under first-year head coach Mike Brown, moving on from Kolek in exchange for future assets would be less about giving up on his talent and more about preserving their win-now pursuit.