There may not have been any team that moved as much in the 2026 NBA Draft than the champion New York Knicks, who built for the future to try and dance around the salary cap for the upcoming season.
The Knicks traded out of the first round last night to try and avoid paying a player guaranteed money, but they leave the Barclays Center with a pair of picks in Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel.
Kayil, the No. 39 overall pick, was acquired in a trade with the Houston Rockets for No. 31 and 53. Kayil played for Alba Berlin last season in the Bundesliga, marking the second time in three years where the team has selected a player that played in Germany. While some may suspect Kayil could be a draft-and-stash prospect, the German point guard made his intentions clear about coming over to the States.
There is a good chance Kayil ends up with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, where he could also be joined by Vanderbilt forward Tyler Nickel, the No. 47 overall pick.
Nickel began his collegiate career at North Carolina before transferring to Virginia Tech after his freshman year. He spent one season in Blacksburg before heading to Vanderbilt for his junior and senior seasons. This past season at Vanderbilt, Nickel averaged 13.5 points and 3.3 rebounds per game while making 40 percent of his shots from beyond the arc.
P&T community, how do you feel about the Knicks’ picks in the second round? Let us know in the comments section below.
