The New York Knicks found a couple of promising young players in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft one day after moving entirely out of the first round to preserve some cap space and avoid stepping into second-apron territory.
Both Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel topped expectations last month during the Summer League, potentially giving the Knicks two inexpensive prospects (one likely bound for a standard contract, the other for a two-way deal) while the franchise operates under owner James Dolan’s second-apron mandate.
Obviously, with the roster still needing to be fully filled before the start of the regular season and the limitations imposed by beloved Dolan, both rookies’ immediate NBA futures were always uncertain, to say the least. New York could offer either or both players two-way contracts to preserve the roster spot and save some money, and on top of that, it’s always been reported that while Kayil wants to remain in America, he’s likely going to be stashed overseas in Germany for another season.
Now, however, the Knicks might have a Tyler Nickel situation right when the rookie looked like a lock for one of the final roster spots and off-the-bench, deep-rotation minutes.
According to CBS Sports’ Isaac Trotter, the No. 47 overall pick is “expected to explore” returning to college rather than beginning his professional career with the Knicks during the 2026-27 season. Emphasis mine:
“Former Purdue All-American Braden Smith is not considering a return to college basketball in the fallout of Friday’s injunction that cleared a path for a fifth year of collegiate eligibility for the Class of 2022, his representatives at Priority Sports told CBS Sports.
“Smith was the No. 38 pick in the 2026 NBA Draft by the Chicago Bulls, who traded his draft rights to the Indiana Pacers. He is one of five second-round picks who have not signed a rookie contract yet, joining BYU’s Richie Saunders (No. 32 to the Memphis Grizzlies), Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel (No. 47 to the New York Knicks), St. John’s Dillon Mitchell (No. 40 to the Boston Celtics) and Florida State’s Lajae Jones (No. 54 to the Golden State Warriors). Nickel and Mitchell are expected to explore their college options, but Smith’s record-setting career is over.”
Hours before Trotter’s report emerged, Nickel already did something intriguing by posting (now deleted, captured below) a single thinking emoji on X.
The possibility follows a recent legal ruling allowing players to compete for five college seasons. Nickel already entered the NCAA’s transfer portal in April and could reportedly earn more through name, image and likeness (NIL) opportunities back in college than he would on a two-way contract.
The Nashville Post estimates Nickel’s NIL valuation between $1 million and $1.4 million, and it’s fair to say that Nickel strengthened his case to either get a bigger NIL deal or snatch a roster spot with the Knicks following his performances at the Las Vegas Summer League. He averaged 12.2 points and 3.6 rebounds while making 41.3% of his three-point attempts.
Nickel’s quick release and shooting ability gave him a clearer path toward an NBA role than many second-round selections, and he showcased exactly that skill set in Vegas to the surprise of no one, seemingly paving his way to the pros if all went (it could still go) according to plan. The fact that Nickel performed better than expected defensively during those hot exhibition games also helped his case.
While a return to college would not cost New York his rights (the Knicks have a year to negotiate with the player and sign him, starting to count from draft day), it could leave the Knicks without one of their two latest draft picks next season, or two if Kayil indeed returns to Germany.
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