The New York Knicks will open training camp next week with most of a championship roster intact and one unusually complicated question still unresolved.
What happens with Tyler Nickel?
New York selected the 6-foot-7 forward with the No. 47 pick in June, but Nickel remains unsigned less than a week before camp. According to James L. Edwards III of The Athletic, people around the league expect Nickel and the Knicks to eventually reach an agreement.
The question is what kind.
Nickel is eligible to return to college after a federal court ruling granted another season of eligibility to a group of players, creating leverage that does not usually exist for a second-round pick. Edwards reported that Nickel could potentially make more through NIL opportunities than he would on a two-way contract with New York.
That leaves the Knicks with an interesting decision: Is Nickel worth creating a standard roster spot for?
Edwards believes the way the situation has developed makes a trade worth watching.
Tyler Nickel Gives New York Something They Need
Nickel’s strongest argument is straightforward.
He can shoot.
He averaged 12.2 points in five Summer League games while making 41.3% of his 3-point attempts, carrying over the perimeter skill that helped make him attractive to New York on draft night.
Nickel also built a reputation as a high-volume floor spacer in college. He shot 38.9% from 3 across his two seasons at Vanderbilt, according to available college statistics, after also shooting better than 40% during his season at Virginia Tech.
That skill translates cleanly to a roster built around Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and other high-usage creators.
Nickel would not need the ball often. If he can defend adequately, run the floor and punish defenses for helping off him, there is a role to envision.
The obstacle is roster space.
Knicks Training Camp Battle Could Force a Move
The Knicks have surrounded their returning core with several veterans on non-guaranteed camp deals.
James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks are competing for frontcourt work, while Bruce Brown, John Konchar and Ochai Agbaji give New York multiple options on the perimeter.
The center competition may be particularly important after Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti departed in free agency. Towns and Andre Drummond are the only established centers on standard contracts.
Wiseman has emerged as the more intriguing option in that battle, particularly because coach Mike Brown is already known to be a fan of the former No. 2 pick.
That leaves New York with a numbers problem.
If the Knicks want to keep another veteran and also give Nickel a standard deal, they may need to clear additional room before opening night.
That is why Nickel’s unsigned status matters beyond one rookie contract negotiation.
It could help determine how New York finishes constructing the roster around its championship core.
For a team entering the season as the hunted for the first time in 53 years, the final moves may be small.
But the competition for those final spots is anything but.
Knicks Could Make Surprise Roster Move for Intriguing Rookie