The New York Knicks' attempt to add Moussa Cissé as a restricted free agent was unsuccessful. The Dallas Mavericks swiftly matched their offer sheet, putting an end to that chapter of their 2026 offseason and forcing them to move on.
The team has one roster spot left, with plenty of speculation toward it eventually being used on a third center. While they didn't actually land Cissé, their willingness to tie up the roster spot for up to 48 hours in an effort to pursue a third-string big man reveals what their likely plans are for both of the 2026 NBA Draft selections in Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel.
At this point, Kayil seems like a lock to go back overseas — despite his desires to play the 2027 campaign in the United States. On the other hand, Nickel is eligible to sign a two-way contract this season (and wouldn't need an unlikely release from Mega Basket to facilitate it). The Knicks likely plan to lock him up with one of those three spots, especially given Kevin McCullar Jr. was nowhere to be found at Summer League.
Knicks don't have a real roster spot for either 2026 NBA Draft pick
Neither Kayil nor Nickel looked like a future NBA star in Las Vegas, but both showed more than enough potential for fans to start becoming enamored with their games. Kayil's steady point guard play resembles that of a European veteran, but his merciless step-back 3-pointers made it seem like he spent time in a German-American AAU immersion program.
Nickel releases the ball from behind the 3-point arc before you see him catch it. His shot is a thing of beauty, reminiscent of whichever NBA jump shooter you most associate with artistry. And while his defense at the NBA level might keep him from becoming a major contributor to Mike Brown's rotation early on, he's never been a full-time professional basketball player before being drafted with the #47 overall pick to the Knicks.
He has time to fill out his frame, and become a player the Knicks will be more than glad to sign to a regular roster spot. For now, though, a two-way contract might be the reality of being drafted by an NBA Championship winning squad.
It's certainly an honor of its own to have the league's title winner deem your skillset as having the potential to help them on the court. But it might require patience, too — especially for both of their rookies.
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