Knicks select 20-year-old German guard Jack Kayil with 39th pick in 2026 NBA draft

Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News on Jun 24, 2026

By clicking submit, I authorize Arcamax and its affiliates to: (1) use, sell, and share my information for marketing purposes, including cross-context behavioral advertising, as described in our Privacy Policy , (2) add to information that I provide with other information like interests inferred from web page views, or data lawfully obtained from data brokers, such as past purchase or location data, or publicly available data, (3) contact me or enable others to contact me by email or other means with offers for different types of goods and services, and (4) retain my information while I am engaging with marketing messages that I receive and for a reasonable amount of time thereafter. I understand I can opt out at any time through an email that I receive, or by clicking here

NEW YORK — A new face is headed to Madison Square Garden.

The salary cap-strapped Knicks cut costs by moving off of pick No. 24 of the first round of the 2026 NBA draft. They then traded pick No. 31, the first pick of the second round, to the Houston Rockets for picks Nos. 39, 53 and a 2029 second-round pick.

At 39, the Knicks selected Jack Kayil, a 20-year-old guard from Germany who committed to Gonzaga before opting to forego an NCAA season altogether and declare for the NBA draft this summer. The 6-foot-5 guard is a capable ball-handler who likes to get downhill. He can also space the floor as a 3-point shooter and can create shots for himself and his teammates.

Kayil was named 2026 Bundesliga Best Young Player and 2026 FIBA Champions League Best Young Player, where he earned All-FIBA Champions League Second Team honors. He last played for German Basketball Bundesliga club Alba Berlin. Kayil won the German Under-19 youth championship in 2023 and earned Best Rookie of the Nachwuchs-Basketball-Bundesliga (NBBL). He also owns two gold medals: the Under-18 European Championship in 2024 and the Under-16 championship in 2022.

Kayil scored 13 points on 5-of-8 shooting from the field and 3-of-4 shooting from 3-point range against Team USA in the 2025 FIBA World Cup Under-19 gold medal game.

Kayil was in attendance at Barclays Center when the Knicks selected him 39th on Wednesday.

The Kayil pick makes it nine players on New York’s payroll, featuring the eight holdovers from the reigning champion roster: Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Miles McBride, Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek and Pacome Dadiet. They are also awaiting a decision from Jose Alvarado, who pushed the deadline date of his $4.5 million player option to June 26.

The Knicks are under a mandate from owner James Dolan not to encroach the restrictive $220 million second apron with roughly $14.5 million in room beneath it to build out the rest of their roster. They must do so despite potentially losing key reserves Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet as unrestricted free agents. Jordan Clarkson and restricted free agent Ariel Hukporti are also on the market.

Kayil represents the latest Knicks gamble on a second round pick. The Knicks traded for McBride at pick No. 36 in 2021. They selected Kolek 34th and Hukporti 56th in 2024, and they took Diawara 51st in 2025.

Kayil averaged 7.7 points, 2.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 18 games with AdmiralBet ABA League team Mega.