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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 16: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks is congratulated by Tyler Kolek #13 after a three-point basket during the fourth quarter as Dylan Harper #2 of the San Antonio Spurs looks on in the Emirates NBA Cup Championship game at T-Mobile Arena on December 16, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Steve Marcus\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
The New York Knicks<\/a> have taken a pragmatic step to keep second-year guard Tyler Kolek<\/a> playing \u2014 even if it means doing so outside the NBA rotation for now.<\/p>\n With Kolek once again on the fringe of head coach Mike Brown\u2019s rotation, the Knicks announced<\/a> Saturday that they have assigned the 24-year-old to the Westchester Knicks to gain extended minutes and maintain rhythm.<\/p>\n The move came as New York prepared to host the Houston Rockets<\/a> before embarking on a three-game road trip. It remains unclear whether Kolek will rejoin the Knicks on the trip or stay with Westchester for additional run.<\/p>\n Knicks Playing Time Vanishes After Trade Deadline Shift<\/p>\n Kolek\u2019s assignment reflects a changing guard hierarchy following the Knicks\u2019 trade-deadline acquisition of Jose Alvarado<\/a>, who joined the team in Boston last weekend and immediately carved out a prominent role.<\/p>\n Since Alvarado\u2019s arrival, Kolek has appeared in just two of the Knicks\u2019 last four games \u2014 logging a total of 14 minutes, most of them in garbage time. Alvarado, by contrast, quickly became a staple of Brown\u2019s rotation, averaging 12.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 rebounds and 2.0 steals in 20.5 minutes per game.<\/p>\n The ripple effects were immediate. Minutes that once belonged to Kolek evaporated almost overnight.<\/p>\n Kolek Embraced Competition in Knicks Deep Bench<\/p>\n Despite the squeeze, Kolek has been vocal about embracing the challenge.<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s always competition in this league,\u201d Kolek told The New York Post<\/a> last week before Alvarado made his Knicks debut. \u201cObviously, Deuce is out for a little bit. We\u2019re trying to be a championship-level team, so you bring in as much talent as you can.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m going to compete every single day,\u201d Kolek added. \u201cEverybody on this team is going to compete for minutes. So it\u2019s no slight to anybody.\u201d<\/p>\n Before the trade, Kolek had settled into a modest but defined role as a backup traditional table-setter. He averaged 5.0 points, 3.1 assists and 1.9 rebounds in 13.7 minutes per game, tasked with changing pace and initiating offense when called upon.<\/p>\n \u201cDo whatever the team needs from me,\u201d Kolek said earlier this season. \u201cWhen I get in there, change the pace. Get guys the ball.\u201d<\/p>\n Guard Logjam Tightens Around Brunson<\/p>\n Kolek\u2019s minutes have fluctuated all season as he worked behind All-NBA point guard Jalen Brunson<\/a> and reserve guard Miles McBride<\/a>.<\/p>\n When McBride underwent surgery earlier this month to repair a core muscle injury \u2014 an absence expected to last until the playoffs \u2014 the Knicks acted swiftly, acquiring Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans<\/a> in exchange for Dalen Terry<\/a>, two second-round picks and cash considerations.<\/p>\n That move reshaped the second unit\u2019s backcourt.<\/p>\n Kolek and veteran Jordan Clarkson<\/a>, both key contributors during the Knicks\u2019 NBA<\/a> Cup championship run earlier this season, have since fallen out of Brown\u2019s rotation. Alvarado and Landry Shamet<\/a> have absorbed nearly all of the backcourt minutes off the bench.<\/p>\n A Stark Contrast From Earlier Success<\/p>\n The shift is notable given how recently Kolek and Clarkson delivered in meaningful moments. The duo combined for 29 points off the bench during the Knicks\u2019 dramatic comeback win over the San Antonio Spurs<\/a> in the NBA Cup Finals \u2014 a performance that now feels distant amid New York\u2019s rotation shakeup.<\/p>\n A brutal 2-9 stretch in January contributed to Clarkson\u2019s diminished role, prompting him to address the adjustment earlier this month.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a whole new thing for me,\u201d Clarkson told The New York Post<\/a>. \u201cBut I\u2019ll continue to be a pro and stay in the gym and working on my craft.\u201d<\/p>\n A Reset Opportunity in Westchester<\/p>\n For Kolek, the G League assignment offers a chance to reset.<\/p>\n He is expected to start for Westchester on Saturday afternoon against the Cleveland Charge at Westchester County Center in White Plains, New York.<\/p>\n Last season, Kolek appeared in four G League games, averaging 18.0 points, 9.8 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals in 36 minutes \u2014 production that highlighted his playmaking upside.<\/p>\n Drafted 34th overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, Kolek remains a developmental piece for a Knicks team firmly in win-now mode. For now, the priority is simple: keep him playing, keep him sharp \u2014 and be ready if the rotation door opens again.<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tAlder Almo<\/a> is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com. He has more than 20 years of experience in local and international media, including broadcast, print and digital. He previously covered the Knicks for Empire Sports Media and the NBA for Off the Glass. Alder is from the Philippines and is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey. More about Alder Almo<\/a>\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\tMore Heavy on Knicks\n\t\t<\/p>\n \n\t\t\t\tLoading more stories\n\t\t<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Getty LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – DECEMBER 16: Jordan Clarkson #00 of the New York Knicks is congratulated by…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":495580,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[574],"tags":[64,63,726,85],"class_list":["post-495579","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-basketball","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-basketball","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495579","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=495579"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/495579\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/495580"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=495579"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=495579"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=495579"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}