LAS VEGAS — When the New York Knicks took Jack Kayil with the 39th overall pick in the 2026 NBA Draft, the expectation was reportedly that the young German's tenure with the team would start overseas. The point guard said after being selected that he hoped to come to the United States for the 2026-27 NBA season, but SNY's Ian Begley reported soon after that the Knicks likely had other plans.
After just one game out in Las Vegas, though, there already seems to be some motion with regard to a change of plans. The 20-year-old matched his average Alba Berlin production, notching 12 points and three assists in 21 minutes of action against the San Antonio Spurs. And The New York Post's Stefan Bondy reported it wouldn't shock him if Kayil wound up playing in the United States next season, one way or another.
Tyler Kolek had his moments throughout the 2025-26 regular season, but never wound up factoring into the Knicks' 2026 NBA Championship run. With a rookie Kayil potentially ready to come play for the Knicks, whether in New York or Westchester, the writing could be on the wall for someone like Kolek.
Knicks may want Kayil in NYC sooner than everyone thought
The Knicks' second Summer League game was just Kayil's first, after they worked to secure clearance from his club abroad. Mega Basket allowed the young guard to play, giving New York's front office a chance to see the first draft pick they made as NBA Champions.
"Wouldn't be surprised if Jack Kayil indeed stays with the Knicks next season rather than getting stashed," Bondy posted on Twitter.
The report came immediately in the wake of the Knicks' 70-49 defeat at the hands of the Spurs, a stark reversal of the NBA Finals. Kayil succeeded as an offensive creator in several different ways, both stretching the floor as a 3-point shooter and finding open teammates off of drives into the paint.
Kayil logged just one turnover, to three assists, in his 21 minutes running the Knicks' Summer League offense. The team results were quite poor, with New York failing to score 50 points — despite having all game to do so. But both Kayil and Tyler Nickel, the Knicks' pick at #47, had promising games that left fans with some sort of silver lining.
Kolek has a team option on his contract for the 2027-28 season that allows the Knicks an opportunity to field competent guard play at a relatively low cost: less than $2.5 million for the season. If his path to a consistent spot in the rotation continues to fog up, though, it might make sense for his representation to start greasing the wheels on an exit from New York.
With Kayil on the squad, and potentially even in town for the season, the Knicks might be positioned just fine to recover.
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