Former Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil signs five-year deal to stay in Germany

The saga of former Gonzaga Bulldogs commit Jack Kayil continues.

On Friday, Kayil's club in Germany, Alba Berlin, announced a 5-year extension with the 20-year-old guard to keep him under contract through the 2030-31 season.

Kayil committed to Gonzaga back in October 2025, intending to join the team this upcoming season while keeping his name in NBA draft consideration. The star guard then went out and had a tremendous season with Alba Berlin, leading the club to a BBL championship and winning the league's Under-22 Player of the Year Award.

That led Kayil to surprise Gonzaga by staying in the NBA draft process, foregoing his eligibility and leaving coach Mark Few and the Zags without their presumed starting SG in May.

Kayil - who indicated he expected to go in the first round - ended up going No. 39 overall and had his draft rights traded to the NBA champion New York Knicks. It was initially reported that New York planned to stash the 6'5 guard overseas, but Kayil reiterated he planned to play stateside and eventually made his way to Las Vegas for the NBA Summer League - where he averaged 8.8 points, 3.5 assists, 3.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in four games, while shooting 50% on twos and 22.7% (5-22) from three.

JACK BLEIBT! 💛💙

Fünfjahresvertrag: Jack Kayil hat bei uns einen Vertrag bis zum Ende der Saison 2030/2031 unterschrieben.

Sooooooo excited, Jack! 🥹

🔗 Alle Infos über https://t.co/Tx0kQm4KWA pic.twitter.com/tuSMg2KPf7
— ALBA BERLIN (@albaberlin) August 7, 2026

Now the young guard plans to return to Germany after all, while the Knicks will retain his draft rights for the foreseeable future.

“Last season was incredibly successful and I had a blast – that’s why I’m even more excited to be staying in Berlin," Kayil said in a statement translated from German. "I can’t wait to get started again and pick up where we left off. The NBA is and always will be my big dream – and ALBA is exactly the right place for me to continue on this path. The club has already helped me take the crucial steps in that direction. I’m simply happy and grateful to be back in this incredible environment.”

Gonzaga's response

Jan 28, 2026; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; Houston Cougars guard Isiah Harwell (1) | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Kayil's departure pushed Houston transfer guard Isiah Harwell into a projected starting role in Spokane, alongside returning sophomores Mario Saint-Supery and Davis Fogle, as well as Arizona State transfer center Massamba Diop and senior forward Braden Huff.

However, two months later, Gonzaga was dealt another crushing blow when Saint-Supery opted to return to Spain to play for Valencia, giving the Zags another hole to fill in the backcourt.

This week was when Gonzaga finally made some moves - thanks to lawsuits ruled on in Georgia and Ohio - landing 5'11 point guard Javon Bennett from Dayton and 6'10 wing Chauncey Wiggins from Florida State.

Now Bennett is likely to start at the one - barring another addition - while Wiggins could start at the three, pushing Fogle to the two and Harwell back into a sixth man role.

It's been a tumultuous offseason for Few and the Zags, but the latest news is a promising sign that this team will compete for a Pac-12 championship and another deep run in March.

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