The New York Knicks are in an odd position as July comes to an end. Across the NBA, there are teams that still have some back-end roster work to do, but most have already made decisions on what have become critical developmental spots, especially for teams dealing with tight payroll and apron margins: the three two-way contract slots teams have to sign players to deals split between the NBA roster and the club’s G League affiliate. Players can pitch in up to 45 NBA games on two-way deals, but don’t count against the salary cap, giving teams added flexibility to both bring along young players and have emergency depth options.
The Knicks, though, not only have open two-way spots, they have all three of their two-way spots open. No other team in the NBA has managed to not yet sign any players to those roles.
And in the Knicks defense, it should be pointed out that their situation is somewhat more complicated than most.
Knicks Can Sign Tyler Nickel, but Jack Kayil Is Complicated
In the end, the expectation is that second-round pick (No. 47 overall) Tyler Nickel will get one of the Knicks’ two-way spots, and he could see spot minutes for the NBA team next season–Nickel is 6-foot-7 and a solid stretch-4, having shot 40.2% on 3-pointers, on 6.9 attempts, in his junior and senior seasons at Vanderbilt.
But fellow second-round pick Jack Kayil’s situation is more complicated. Kayil is German and was signed up to play at Gonzaga before instead opting to enter the NBA draft, where he was picked by the Rockets at No. 39, and traded to the Knicks. Kayil wants to play in the NBA next season, but it won’t be that simple, and that’s likely why the Knicks are holding off on their two-way deals.
Jack Kayil Would Have to Pay His Own Buyout
Despite his commitment to Gonzaga and his selection by the Knicks, Kayil is still technically under contract to the Serbian team, Mega Basket. The Knicks are allowed, under NBA rules, to pitch in for a buyout of his contract with Mega, but only if the contract that Kayil is getting in the NBA is a guaranteed deal. Two-way contracts are not guaranteed, so the only way Kayil could get released from his deal would be to pay the buyout himself.
If he were coming to the NBA for big money, Kayil might be willing to do so. But not for a two-way contract, which is just under $700,000. The Knicks could be waiting to see how things play out at the end of their roster and with Kayil’s Mega buyout before arranging their two-way deals.
Knicks ‘Still Need a Third Center’
The Knicks currently have 13 roster spots filled and are a whisper–less than $3 million–from the second apron. Teams can have as many as 15 players but must carry at least 14, which means the Knicks will need to add. But Kayil is not a priority on that front.
As Ian Begley of SNY explained, “New York still needs a third center. If the club signs a center to a veteran’s minimum contract, New York would not have enough room under the second apron to sign either Tyler Nickel or Kayil to contract via second round exception.
“Entering free agency, the plan for Kayil was to spend next season with his overseas club. The Knicks can obviously alter those plans by offering him an NBA contract, but as noted above, they are limited by the second apron.”
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