The Knicks left draft night with fewer names than some fans wanted, but their two second-round picks did enough in Las Vegas to give the front office something to work with. Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel both flashed during Summer League, just in very different ways.
Kayil’s path to the exhibition games was a little unusual from the start. His name was missing when the summer roster was first announced, even after he said on draft night that he planned to stay in the States. He eventually got approval to suit up, and over four games he put up 8.8 points, 3 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 34% from three and 23% from the field in 22.4 minutes.
Those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, and they probably undersell some of what he showed. Kayil had stretches where he looked capable of hitting tough shots off the dribble, both from midrange and beyond the arc, while also threatening as a driver.
There were also signs of a player who can see the floor, especially when he was finding cutters or pushing ahead in transition. His size helped him hold up defensively when he was locked in.
At the same time, the rough edges were obvious. His shot remains inconsistent, and his handle still needs work.
He has enough athleticism to make plays, but not so much that he can afford to be loose with the ball and expect it to all work out. Even so, it’s tough to call the showing a bust when he’s 20 years old and came in as the 39th pick.
There’s still plenty of room for him to sharpen his shot selection and find more consistency.
Nickel, meanwhile, arrived with a very different reputation. At 22, he’s the older prospect, and unlike Kayil, he came out of college with a skill that already looks ready for the next level: shooting. He made that case loudly in Vegas.
Across five games, Nickel launched a team-high and Summer League-high 46 threes and knocked down 19 of them. He finished with 12.2 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 1 steal per game while shooting 37.5% from the field and 41.3% from deep.
The volume stood out, but so did the variety. He wasn’t just parking himself in the corner.
He pulled up on the move, shot with confidence and did it without forcing the issue.
That balance mattered. Nickel stayed within the offense and didn’t try to turn himself into something he isn’t.
The shot is the selling point, but the hustle may be what keeps him on the floor. He had multiple possessions where he was flying around defensively, rotating hard, saving balls from going out of bounds and battling for loose balls.
Kayil may still have the higher ceiling. Nickel, though, brings a combination of shooting and effort that every team can use. If the Knicks need help because of injuries or decide to ease up during the regular season, there’s a path for Nickel to earn minutes as a two-way player.
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