Gonzaga commit Jack Kayil declares for 2026 NBA Draft, leaving future with Zags to be determined

German guard Jack Kayil, the prize of Gonzaga's 2026 recruiting class, has officially declared for the NBA draft, putting his name in about 12 hours before the early entry window closes on Friday night.

Kayil's decision is entirely expected. In fact, the 20-year-old said he planned to do this way back when he initially committed to Gonzaga in October, writing in an Instagram post that he's "Happy to announce that while keeping my options open for the NBA Draft 2026, I committed to Gonzaga University in the class of 2026."

College players have until May 27 to remove their name from the draft to preserve their eligibility, but the deadline for international players, like Kayil, is a few weeks later, on June 13 at 2:00 PM PT.

The 6'5 guard is currently playing for Alba Berlin in Germany's Bundesliga division, where the regular season ends on May 10. That could give Kayil a chance to participate in the NBA Draft Combine, which runs from May 10-17, provided he is one of 75 or so prospects who receive an invitation.

NEWS: Alba Berlin's Jack Kayil has declared for the 2026 NBA Draft, agents Kevin Bradbury and Milan Nikolic tell DraftExpress.

The 6'5, 20-year-old point guard is having an outstanding season in Germany.

Committed to Gonzaga in the fall, but exploring NBA options. pic.twitter.com/ipUxr21Igb
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 24, 2026

What it means for Gonzaga

Kayil's decision to enter the draft is not a surprise to the coaching staff. And while he's considered one of the better international prospects heading to college next season, his name has not been regularly appearing on NBA mock drafts.

The general expectation is that Kayil will end up in Spokane in 2026-27, getting a big opportunity to showcase his talent in front of NBA executives alongside Mario Saint-Supery, Davis Fogle, and Braden Huff for Mark Few's team.

Of course, Kayil could really impress scouts next month and opt to go the professional route, which would open up another roster spot for the Zags and leave them even more thin in the backcourt following the losses of Jalen Warley, Adam Miller, Tyon Grant-Foster, Emmanuel Innocenti, Steele Venters, and Braeden Smith.

Scouting Jack Kayil

Kayil is one of the youngest players in the Bundesliga this year, averaging 11.7 points, 3.7 assists, and 2.9 rebounds while shooting 34.1% from three and 75.5% from the free throw line.

His team recently completed a series against Spanish opponent Unicaja Malaga, where former Zag Killian Tillie currently plays and the hometown club of Saint-Supery.

Kayil led all scorers with 25 points in the second game, hitting a pair of free throws to send the game into overtime before Unicaja eventually won.

At 6'5, Kayil can play both on and off the ball, and is a strong contender to start alongside Saint-Supery and Fogle in Gonzaga's backcourt in 2026-27. Houston transfer Isiah Harwell is certainly in that mix as well, while Gonzaga has been connected to a handful of other guards in the portal - including Jeremiah Johnson (Campbell) and Ethan Copeland (Stetson).

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