Former Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil selected No. 39 overall in NBA Draft

Fans have known for over a month that German guard Jack Kayil will not suit up for Gonzaga in the 2026-27 season, but now they know where he'll be instead: with the defending NBA champions.

Kayil was selected No. 39 overall in the NBA draft on Wednesday, and he'll join the New York Knicks after the pick was traded by the Houston Rockets.

Kayil initially committed to Gonzaga back in October of 2025, becoming the first of Gonzaga's three-man 2026 recruiting class - with 4-star wing Luca Foster and 4-star center Sam Funches following suit.

However, after an agency change in April, Kayil opted to stay in the NBA draft process - believing he was going to be picked in the first round and therefore willing to forego his chance to play for Mark Few in Spokane.

Well, the first round came and went without Kayil's name being called, although the 6'5 guard was invited and attended the NBA Green Room for the second round on Wednesday before his selection nine picks later.

Kayil gives New York a high-upside combo guard who played against grown men in the Bundesliga as a 20-year-old this past season, while leading Alba Berlin to a second-place finish in league play.

The 6'5 guard can get downhill and flashed great facilitation skills, although his outside shot isn't consistent and he'll need to prove he can hang with the toughness and physicality of the NBA. New York is a good landing spot for Kayil, as he won't face a ton of pressure to perform right away in a very deep backcourt in the Big Apple.

With the 39th pick of the NBA Draft the @HoustonRockets select Jack Kayil!

The 2026 NBA Draft is LIVE on ESPN. pic.twitter.com/PuloHU6cOn
— NBA (@NBA) June 25, 2026

What it means for Gonzaga

Gonzaga learned of Kayil's decision in early May, a huge blow to a program that expected to start the 6'5 guard alongside returners Mario Saint-Supery and Davis Fogle. Kayil's decision thrust Houston transfer Isiah Harwell into a projected starting role, and leaves the team incredibly thin in the backcourt.

Since then, the Zags have added another European prospect - 18-year-old French guard Juwan Ekanga-Ehawa - and remain in the mix for multiple other high-level guards, including a pair of Serbians in Nikola Kusturica and Savo Drezgic.

Gonzaga will miss having Kayil's ball-handling alongside Saint-Supery in 2026-27, but it creates an opportunity for a massive sophomore breakout for Harwell - the 6'6 Pocatello, ID native who was a McDonald's All-American in 2025 and who flashed signs of greatness during an up-and-down freshman campaign with Houston.

This is the third time Gonzaga has seen an international player opt to go the professional route after initially committing, with Kayil following in the footsteps of Chinese big man Fanbo Zeng and Australian guard Alex Toohey.

Zeng went undrafted and played in nine games with the G League Ignite in 2021-22 before returning to China, where he has spent the past four seasons with the Beijing Ducks.

Toohey was selected No. 52 overall in the 2025 NBA draft by the Golden State Warriors, who signed him to a two-way contract and cut him in December before he ever played in an NBA game.

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