In the wake of their NBA Championship victory, the New York Knicks didn't make a draft pick until the second round. It was par for the course for Leon Rose's front office, who came away with Jack Kayil with the 39th overall selection.
When their 2026 Summer League roster was first released, though, the guard was nowhere to be found. It was revealed soon after that Kayil, who last played professionally for Alba Berlin in Germany, needed permission from the club to participate in games in Las Vegas.
New York's first game of the summer is on Friday against the Brooklyn Nets, who will have traveled a long way just to play their rivals from Manhattan. On Thursday, Kayil was added to the Knicks' Summer League roster – clearing the way for him to debut at the NBA level, to some extent, in front of the crowd at the Thomas & Mack Center.
The path is clear for Knicks' first 2026 draft pick to debut in Las Vegas
Kayil averaged 12.3 points per game for Alba Berlin last season, creating and shooting without mercy off the dribble. His skillset is conducive to the clip-emptying that high-volume scorers enjoy in Las Vegas. They can get their games off without fear of getting benched.
At the actual NBA level, Kayil's role would likely be streamlined. He won't be relied upon to create offense in stagnant half-court situations by taking wily step-back 3-pointers early in the shot clock.
Before the Knicks put Karl-Anthony Towns in position to save their season as a playmaker, they tasked Landry Shamet with some creation against the Atlanta Hawks. The returns weren't great, but they could very well have inspired the Kayil selection.
In a Summer League setting, though, Kayil's shot-hunting abilities could come in handy. The Knicks struggled last year to consistently create easy shots for each other, forcing Tyler Kolek and Pacôme Dadiet out of their depths. Between Kayil and Jaden Akins, who participated in the G-League Next Up (All-Star) Game, though, the Knicks should be able to keep defenses honest.
That should open the door for guys like Dadiet and Mohamed Diawara to succeed as drive-and-kick playmakers, the exact kind of basketball Mike Brown's Knicks rode all the way to a title.
Around stars like Towns and Jalen Brunson, defense and catch-and-shoot ability are much more important than being able to create a mid-range jumper. Kayil can grow into that kind of player long-term, but might just want to get some shots up here in Las Vegas.
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