The Knicks were once again active on the trade market in Round 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft, making two more deals to turn their three second-round picks into two players, cash, and a future second-rounder.
A capsule recap of the Knicks’ night, which once again perhaps helped the Knicks acquire potential future assets while keeping themselves under the second salary cap apron this summer:
TRADE: Knicks deal No. 31, No. 55 picks to Houston
The Knicks opened the night on the clock, but dealt the top pick in Round 2 and a larer pick to the Rockets for picks 39 and 53, as well as Sacramento’s second-round pick in 2029 to add yet another future asset to their haul from trades on Day 1.
The move followed their fireworks at the end of the first round Tuesday night, where they turned what started as the No. 24 overall pick into a total of five future second-round picks – including the No. 47 pick Wednesday night – and draft rights to three players who remain overseas.
PICK: Knicks select German PG Jack Kayil at No. 39 overall
The first pick they made came at No. 39 in Kayil, a 20-year-old who played two seasons in Germany and one in Serbia before returning to Basketball Bundesliga.
Playing for the eventual BBL Champions Alba Berlin, Kayil won the Best Young Player Award in both the Bundesliga and FIBA Champions League, and was a Second Team All-FIBA Champions League selection.
PICK: Knicks select Vanderbilt F Tyler Nickel at No. 47 overall
The Knicks used the pick they acquired on Tuesday night to select Nickel, who spent a year at North Carolina and a year at Virginia Tech before two in Nashville.
Nickel started all 69 games he played for the Commodores, averaging 10.4 points and 2.4 rebounds in 2024-25 and 13.5 points and 3.3 boards in 2025-26.
PICK/TRADE: Knicks select Virginia C Ugonna Onyenso at No. 53 overall, deal him to Detroit
The Knicks’ final pick was short-lived, as they took Onyenso, who played two seasons at Kentucky and one each at Kansas State and Virginia, but then dealt him to the Pistons for cash.
