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Miles McBride. Tyler Kolek. Ariel Hukporti. Mohamed Diawara. And now, Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil.
The Knicks continue to hit on second-round picks.
It looks like the 20-year-old German guard’s got some game: Kayil, who the Knicks acquired after the Houston Rockets selected him 39th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and three-of-seven shooting from 3-point range to go with four assists and three steals in New York’s first Summer League victory of the offseason: an 86-75 victory over the Detroit Pistons to improve the Knicks’ Las Vegas record to 1-2 on Monday.
Kayil did not play in the Summer League opener against the Brooklyn Nets and scored 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench on Saturday. The German guard started in a featured role against the Pistons on Monday with Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara on the sidelines.
With more usage, the second-round pick delivered, giving the Knicks another prospect to consider for a two-way contract. New York’s crowded backcourt of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado and Kolek make rookie minutes a near impossibility — but Kayil flashed the scoring and playmaking abilities that earned him the early second-round selection.
And Nickel has already proven his ability to shoot the three at the pro level after nailing 40% of his shots behind the arc in his senior season at Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-8 wing the Knicks selected 47th overall in the June NBA Draft shot three-of-eight from deep for nine points in the win over the Pistons. Nickel has now made 13 3s on 29 attempts and is shooting 44.8% from behind the arc in Las Vegas.
Which leaves one more two-way roster spot if the Knicks are going to fill it with a player on their Summer League squad. The favorite if available? Likely Dillon Jones, who has won back-to-back championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. Jones was integral for head coach Mike Brown, who leaned on him in practice and on the sidelines. The 24-year-old wing scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting in Monday’s win over the Pistons.
There’s also Liam Robbins, a 27-year-old seven-footer looking for an opportunity with a Knicks team in need of help at center. Robbins scored 15 points and was willing to shoot the three, though he converted on just one of his four attempts behind the arc. Robbins also played at Vanderbilt and had four blocks on Monday. The Knicks were plus-10 in his 24 minutes on the floor.
Ozaya Sellers and Nick Jourdain had their moments, too. Sellers came off the bench and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Jourdain started in place of Diawara and added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Most of the players on the Knicks’ roster, however, are auditioning for Westchester — or rival executives.
Nickel, Kayil, Jones and Robbins have emerged through three Summer League games, for three two-way roster spots the Knicks can fill as they reconstruct a roster that ended New York City’s 53-year NBA championship drought.
The Knicks have one more Las Vegas game left on the schedule against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Continue reading...
The Knicks continue to hit on second-round picks.
It looks like the 20-year-old German guard’s got some game: Kayil, who the Knicks acquired after the Houston Rockets selected him 39th overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, scored a team-high 19 points on 6-of-13 shooting from the field and three-of-seven shooting from 3-point range to go with four assists and three steals in New York’s first Summer League victory of the offseason: an 86-75 victory over the Detroit Pistons to improve the Knicks’ Las Vegas record to 1-2 on Monday.
Kayil did not play in the Summer League opener against the Brooklyn Nets and scored 12 points in 21 minutes off the bench on Saturday. The German guard started in a featured role against the Pistons on Monday with Pacome Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara on the sidelines.
With more usage, the second-round pick delivered, giving the Knicks another prospect to consider for a two-way contract. New York’s crowded backcourt of Jalen Brunson, Miles McBride, Jose Alvarado and Kolek make rookie minutes a near impossibility — but Kayil flashed the scoring and playmaking abilities that earned him the early second-round selection.
And Nickel has already proven his ability to shoot the three at the pro level after nailing 40% of his shots behind the arc in his senior season at Vanderbilt. The 6-foot-8 wing the Knicks selected 47th overall in the June NBA Draft shot three-of-eight from deep for nine points in the win over the Pistons. Nickel has now made 13 3s on 29 attempts and is shooting 44.8% from behind the arc in Las Vegas.
Which leaves one more two-way roster spot if the Knicks are going to fill it with a player on their Summer League squad. The favorite if available? Likely Dillon Jones, who has won back-to-back championships with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Knicks. Jones was integral for head coach Mike Brown, who leaned on him in practice and on the sidelines. The 24-year-old wing scored 18 points on 7-of-15 shooting in Monday’s win over the Pistons.
There’s also Liam Robbins, a 27-year-old seven-footer looking for an opportunity with a Knicks team in need of help at center. Robbins scored 15 points and was willing to shoot the three, though he converted on just one of his four attempts behind the arc. Robbins also played at Vanderbilt and had four blocks on Monday. The Knicks were plus-10 in his 24 minutes on the floor.
Ozaya Sellers and Nick Jourdain had their moments, too. Sellers came off the bench and finished with 10 points and nine rebounds, and Jourdain started in place of Diawara and added 10 points and eight rebounds.
Most of the players on the Knicks’ roster, however, are auditioning for Westchester — or rival executives.
Nickel, Kayil, Jones and Robbins have emerged through three Summer League games, for three two-way roster spots the Knicks can fill as they reconstruct a roster that ended New York City’s 53-year NBA championship drought.
The Knicks have one more Las Vegas game left on the schedule against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday at 7 p.m.
Continue reading...
