The Knicks’ 2026 draft class is already looking a lot different than it did on draft night, and not in a good way.
New York’s biggest issue right now is the hole at center after both Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti walked, yet the team used its first pick at No. 39 on combo guard Jack Kayil instead of bringing in a young big. At first, that choice came with some optimism. Now, the picture around Kayil has shifted fast.
This week brought word that Kayil is expected to remain overseas, and Thursday added another layer: he won’t be on the Knicks’ Summer League roster.
Knicks Summer League roster is out -- Dadiet and Diawara will play; Jack Kayil will not. pic.twitter.com/s7Ey5PVDIr
That turns Kayil from a prospect fans could get excited about into something closer to a draft-night question mark. For a player taken as New York’s top selection, he suddenly feels detached from the team before he’s even played for it.
There is some context here. Kayil turned 20 in January, and his background is far from conventional.
He developed in Germany’s BBL league, a path that leaves plenty of room for growth and refinement. For a second-round pick, that kind of rawness usually isn’t a deal-breaker, especially for a contender that can lean on the G League to help him get reps.
Summer League would have been a clean bridge. Kayil could have shared the floor with future Knicks teammates like Mohamed Diawara and Pacôme Daidet while also going against top rookies, young NBA players and veterans chasing another chance. There would have been little pressure, just a chance to settle in and give the Knicks a better read on where he stands and what kind of work still needs to be done if he’s going to become the rare draft-and-stash player who eventually makes the jump.
Jack Kayil says he does not plan to return to Germany for another year after being drafted by the Knicks pic.twitter.com/micv9vL2Ee
Instead, Kayil has become even harder to place than he was on draft night. He had said he intended to stay with the organization while continuing to develop, but now he’s headed back overseas, and it isn’t clear who made that decision or why.
That leaves the relationship between Kayil and the Knicks murky. Maybe New York is treating him as a long-term project.
Maybe the organization no longer sees him as part of its immediate future. Maybe this is the route everyone believes gives him the best shot to come over later.
Whatever the reasoning, the outcome is a letdown.
Rather than serving as the face of the rookie class, Kayil is now an afterthought. That only makes the questions louder about why the Knicks went with him over more NBA-ready talent, and why they still didn’t address the center spot.
Tyler Nickel will be part of Summer League, and he’s a nice addition. But New York had more on the table in this draft than what it ended up with, and the rough start to free agency makes that sting even more.
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One of the names they chased was New Orleans center Yves Missi, but the Pelicans have made it clear they are not interested in moving him. New Orleans views him as part of its core, and New York is not alone in getting turned away, since the Lakers also tried to pry him loose without success. [Read more 🡒]