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LIVE Knicks 2026 Draft Tracker: Every Pick, Trade, and Instant Grades (Updated)

Isaiah De Los Santos|
Live tracking of the Knicks' picks and trades (with grades) during the 2026 draft.
Live tracking of the Knicks' picks and trades (with grades) during the 2026 draft. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The Knicks' offseason kicks up a notch on Tuesday as they head into the 2026 NBA draft. New York is set to be a major influence on the event with three total picks on the board between the first and second rounds, giving this team plenty of options when it comes to selections or even trades.

With a lot of potential activity in store, we're providing live updates on the Knicks' entire 2026 draft below, along with grades of any move they make:

Round 1: No pick after flurry of trades

In a stunning event, the Knicks turned the No. 24 pick into five second-round picks and cash.

Initially, the No. 24 pick became the No. 25 and cash considerations from the Lakers, which New York used to select Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea. But right as the draft ended, the Knicks dealt De Larrea to the Mavericks for No. 30 pick Koa Peat's draft rights and two second-rounders.

Then the Knicks traded Peat to the Suns for three more second-rounders, bringing their total to five, all stemming from dealing the 24th selection. These are great moves for New York to restock on future capital (which can be used in veteran trades down the line) and save on spending in the short term.

As part of the deal with Phoenix, the Knicks are now selecting No. 47 in the second round of this year's draft, in addition to No. 31 and No. 55, which New York already owns.

Grade: A

Round 2, pick No. 39* (*traded No. 31 to Houston): Jack Kayil, G, Germany

To begin Wednesday, the Knicks traded pick No. 31 to the Rockets for a package of picks, including the No. 39 selection in the second round. So New York moved down eight spots while picking up an extra second in 2029.

When on the clock, the Knicks did not surprise by taking German combo guard Jack Kayil. This past season, he averaged 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 21.4 minutes per game at just 19 years old.

At over 6-foot-4 in shoes, Kayil is an intriguing prospect as a ball-handling guard with size who also isn't afraid to shoot from all over the floor.

His performance from deep (29.2% this season in Germany) leaves plenty to be desired, though his 78.5% from the free throw line shows some potential to grow in that aspect. He also wasn't shy on threes (5.5 attempts per contest), which demonstrates a desire to be a threat from the perimeter.

That being said, Kayil is likely to end up on a two-way or rookie minimum salary, given how raw he is. New York could've gone for a much more proven collegiate player, but likely went this route due to Kayil being even cheaper than a top-end second-round pick.

Grade: B-

Round 2, pick No. 47* (*acquired from Suns): Tyler Nickel, F, Vanderbilt

The Knicks have selected sharpshooter Tyler Nickel with the No. 47 pick, which they acquired from the Suns on Tuesday. This is the exciting low-cost addition many were anxiously waiting for New York to make.

Nickel is a bonafide threat from deep, shooting 40% from three over each of the past three seasons. He's accomplished this while increasing his attempts every year, going from 4.5 per game as a sophomore, to 6.1 as a junior and then a whopping 7.6 as a senior.

At 6-foot-6 without shoes, Nickel offers legitimate size on the wing and thrives as an off-ball weapon. This fits in perfectly within the Knicks' offense, where he can focus on drawing opponent attention out to the perimeter or knocking down open looks when his bigger-name teammates suck the defense in.

Nickel doesn't currently offer much more outside of that, so he'll need to work on his defense to be a true 3-and-D player at the next level and possibly fill the Landry Shamet role. But Mike Brown and his staff have proven more than capable of developing exactly this area, which is encouraging for the new rookie.

Grade: A-

Round 2, pick No. 53: traded

The Knicks took center Ugonna Onyeso with the No. 53 pick, but then quickly moved him to the Pistons. This could be a hint at the team doing all it can to keep Mitchell Robinson.

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Isaiah De Los Santos
ISAIAH DE LOS SANTOS

Isaiah De Los Santos has been in sports media for 10 years, most recently joining OnSI to cover the New York Knicks, New York Jets and New York Yankees. Previous stops for Isaiah include FanSided, SB Nation and SLAM.

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