Knicks take Tyler Kolek after trading up in second round of 2024 NBA Draft
The Knicks moved up to take a ready-made college star and a Villanova “villain.”
Tyler Kolek, a 23-year-old guard, was chosen 34th on Thursday by the Knicks, who traded three other second-round picks to grab the Marquette star.
Kolek is a veteran by draft prospects standards. He played four years in college, one at George Mason, three at Marquette. He led the NCAA in assists last season while averaging 15.3 points in 31 games and shooting 39 percent from beyond the arc.
His experience is a stark contrast to the Knicks’ first-round choice from Wednesday, 18-year-old wing Pacome Dadiet of France.
Relevant given the current dynamics of the Knicks roster, Kolek was mercilessly taunted by Villanova fans as he buried the Wildcats in January.
Kolek, who dropped a career-high 32 points with nine assists in that matchup, said he embraced Nova hate.
“We come on the road and they’re yelling [that] I can’t read,” Kolek told reporters after the game. “They’re yelling, ‘Where were you on January 6?’
“All this [expletive]. I love that stuff. I walk out, they’re booing me. It’s fun. It’s fun for me.
“I’m undefeated against Villanova,” Kolek added. “I’ve never lost to them in three years.”
The Knicks now have four Villanova NCAA champions — Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, Donte DiVincenzo — in their rotation.
And there’s potential, if Kolek’s game translates to the NBA, to serve as a Brunson backup.
The Knicks, who will be limited in how they can add players this summer because of their salary-cap situation, could’ve used another ballhander in the playoffs. Miles McBride and Alec Burks were thrust into that role when Brunson was subbed out despite having shooting-guard skillsets.
Kolek’s NBA upside is as a floor general with a ceiling comparison to TJ McConnell, the pesky Pacers point guard who served an important role in eliminating the Knicks from the playoffs last season. Kolek has that competitive fire and, at 6-foot-3, is taller than McConnell with a better shot. But he’s limited athletically and not as strong an on-ball defender.
Fran Fraschilla, the former St. John’s coach and NCAA analyst, raved about Kolek to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel during his junior season.
“You have to have high-IQ guys,” Fraschilla said. “Tyler Kolek thinks the game as well as any point guard in college basketball. It’s not even close. His passing ability is on par with anyone. To have a guy like that, it would be like having [the Kansas City Chiefs’] Patrick Mahomes at quarterback. If you put Patrick Mahomes on my Jets, they’re still playing. And with Marquette, they have the perfect trigger man.”
The Knicks already have three of their own second-round picks on the roster — McBride, Mitchell Robinson and Jericho Sims — so there’s a precedent for real opportunity.
After choosing Kolek, the Knicks made a series of pick swaps, and finished the evening with the 56th and 58th picks, using them to choose Kevin McCullar Jr. out of Kansas and Ariel Hukporti from Germany, respectively.
Welcome to N.Y.
A look at the Knicks’ second-round picks in Thursday’s draft:
Tyler Kolek, PG: Second round, 34th overall
A college star at Marquette and, at 6-foot-3, 195-pounds, a floor general who has been hailed as among the best passers in the country.
Experience gives him a high floor as a prospect who could possibly contribute right away.
Kevin McCullar Jr., F: Second round, 56th overall
Blossomed as a senior at Kansas before his season was derailed by a knee injury. A strong, 6-7 defender, but a career 31 percent 3-point shooter in the NCAA at a decent volume is concerning.
Ariel Hukporti, C: Second round, 58th overall
The 22-year old prospect from Australia has a high motor and appreciates defense.
At 6-11 and 246 pounds, he could fit the role of a Tom Thibodeau center. Limited offensively and underwent Achilles surgery in late 2022.