Knicks' Tyler Nickel Drama Could Suddenly Lead to a Trade

The Knicks' Tyler Nickel situation is finally seeing some movement. First, The Athletic's James Edwards reported Friday morning that New York did, in fact, extend Nickel a rookie tender, which was necessary to secure his draft rights if he goes back to college.

Then, SNY's Ian Begley added that Nickel "is all in on starting his pro career," which provides hope that Nickel could join the Knicks soon, rather than returning to school.

NYK draft pick Jack Kayil is staying overseas next season. Given that news, it’s worth noting that Tyler Nickel, NYK’s other 2nd round pick, is all in on starting his pro career, per league sources familiar with the dynamic
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) August 7, 2026

The one big issue, though, is Nickel would likely need a standard contract to land in New York. A simple two-way wouldn't be as lucrative for the sharpshooter, so only putting that kind of deal on the table may push Nickel to choose another year of college and NIL earnings instead.

This causes a Knicks dilemma, since the team can only afford one more standard contract, but also needs a third-string center. There's simply no way to afford Nickel and a veteran big while staying under the second apron, as is James Dolan's mandate.

Add all of this up, and New York could suddenly use a trade to keep Nickel and still address the frontcourt. Luckily, the team has a few options on that front.

Knicks may be pushed to dump a young player in trade in order to keep Tyler Nickel

The more palatable trade candidates for the Knicks would be Pacôme Dadiet and Tyler Kolek. The former appears to be a poor fit and hasn't taken off despite his potential. Meanwhile, Kolek is more of a luxury at point guard with Jalen Brunson and the newly re-signed Jose Alvarado, the latter of whom is sticking for another three years now.

A trade of either player would also free up extra financial breathing room. That’s especially the case for Dadiet, whose $2.98 million salary for 2026-27 is more than a minimum and what Nickel could expect this year. Kolek's $2.29 million for this season is closer to what Nickel would receive, so that makes essentially swapping those two on the books an easy task and still leaves the team's remaining space to go toward a big.

The hang-up with needing to shed a player in order to accommodate Nickel and a center, however, is that other teams won't just happily help New York out. Many already believe there's a "Knicks tax" the team must pay in any deal, but that's only accentuated coming off of a title.

As a result, it's not a simple case of New York choosing to trade Dadiet or Kolek and picking out where to send them. Instead, they have to find a partner that is willing to take on a player some view as a first-round bust already, or an unproven guard. This provides an obstacle with many rosters already full and fewer squads in desperate need at most positions since they've addressed those holes.

Pacome Dadiet looks — The Knicks trading Pacome Dadiet in a salary dump would help them a ton with Tyler Nickel. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

That reality is going to rule out a few franchises. But, for anyone who might be willing, the Knicks will then need to make it worth their while. That means attaching additional draft capital in order for another franchise to accept an essential salary dump.

While New York likely doesn't want to see future draft picks walk out the door like that, this is also a natural part of doing business. The Knicks are in luck here, however, as Leon Rose added four future second-rounders as part of his masterful trading back during this year's draft. This is essentially free money Rose can use, and it'd go toward a cause that really helps the team out.

The other trade route New York could go is dealing Miles McBride in exchange for a third big. The veteran guard has much more standalone value than Dadiet or Kolek, so he could be flipped for a legitimately useful center. This would then address the frontcourt need, and allow Nickel to be signed with the current space the Knicks have to add one single player.

There are pros and cons to dealing McBride, who's seen his production rise each year since entering the league and is only soon turning 26. However, he's also on an expiring deal and set for a pay raise, so the cash-strapped New York would be better off dealing him now while he still has a full season of use for another acquiring team.

Of course, the rub is that while McBride's a good piece, other teams won't be chomping at the bit to land him while sending out a good center. So again, it'll come down to the Knicks finding a franchise who's willing to tango, and then giving them a strong enough offer to agree to help out the defending title winners.

But, situations change all the time in the NBA. So a team that may have rebuffed trade calls before could be more open for business, especially closer to the start of the season. The Pelicans previously turned New York away on Yves Missi, and the Knicks reportedly were eyeing the Hornets' Moussa Diabaté earlier this offseason. This gives Rose a couple of teams he could circle back with.

Though a trade would be a significant move to clear room for an unknown rookie in Nickel, his impressive Summer League and clear three-point abilities make him incredibly easy to see helping New York right away. That upside could lead to someone being sacrificed in favor of a new face.

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