The free-agent market opened on Tuesday, and nobody outside Rich Paul and LeBron James made us bat an eye. It’s the new NBA economy, in which trades are the coolest kids in town.
In any case, the New York Knicks have reportedly been doing business for a few days now, re-signing three players to team-friendly deals in Jose Alvarado, Mo Diawara, and Landry Shamet. Not bad for a start! The elephant in the room isn’t going anywhere, or actually, I should say he’s definitely going somewhere, but that’s
a sad story for another day.
Meanwhile, the Knicks, in staying below the second apron as James Dolan wishes, are expected to take a cost-cutting approach to second-round pick Jack Kayil.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, New York intends to stash Kayil in Germany for the 2026-27 season rather than bring him onto the NBA roster immediately.
“The plan entering free agency for second-round pick Jack Kayil is that he play next season overseas with his current club in Germany,” — SNY’s Ian Begley
If Begley’s information is correct, then Kayil will remain with ALBA Berlin playing Bundesliga hoops for one more year while honing his skills, but most importantly, the move will allow the Knicks to avoid using a roster spot and committing any more guaranteed salary to an end-of-bench player who, realistically, wasn’t probably going to sniff the court that much as a true freshman.
Kayil, selected with the No. 39 overall pick, is coming off a strong season in Germany, averaging 12.2 points, 3.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds while earning the Bundesliga Best Young Player award. From that to leading an NBA team, however, there’s a stretch. And Kiyal will have to wait, even against his preferred outcome.
After the wave of re-signings heading into free agency, the Knicks are operating with limited flexibility and with an estimate of around $9 million in space to fill three of the four remaining roster spots.
You can follow Antonio on Twitter at @chapulana.
