Tyler Nickel's Summer League Should Make Several Knicks Nervous

The legend of Tyler Nickel just keeps growing for the Knicks at Summer League. He's now made his impact as a three-point marksman felt in four straight games, demonstrating that he's just as advertised after his excellence from deep in college.

While New York still needs to sort out what kind of contract it will give Nickel, he's simply too good not to have around the team in some way during the 2026-27 campaign.

This development means a few Knicks have a real threat to worry about.

Tyler Nickel could make a few Knicks expendable if he starts rookie year strong

First off, Nickel's hot Summer League could end up hurting fellow rookie Jack Kayil.

Though Kayil was the higher pick (No. 39) over Nickel (No. 47), the latter had the more impressive Vegas showing, and his profile as a shooting wing is an attractive one for a contender. This could lead to the Vanderbilt alum being signed to the main roster over Kayil, or getting a two-way deal over the No. 39 pick.

With three slots for two-ways, Kayil could still snag one of them, but it's also possible New York targets multiple veteran centers instead, given the more pressing needs at that position. So Nickel's presence reveals a potential blockade for Kayil, whom the team could opt to stash overseas with already one rookie to sign.

"55 got a chop" - Josh Hart

Six threes for Tyler Nickel in his first Summer League game 🔥 pic.twitter.com/SfbBCLvaAg
— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) July 10, 2026

But there's veterans who should take note of Nickel's performance, too.

Landry Shamet has the most direct overlap with Nickel, given they're both wings and three-point specialists. While the Knicks brought Shamet back this offseason, they also got him to sign a very team-friendly deal that leaves future release and trade paths open. This creates a possibility where New York could pursue a Shamet split if it's confident Nickel can bring the same (or even more) at a major discount.

Speaking of players who could be on the move, Miles McBride is the Knick with the ripest trade potential, with an expiring deal and a strong scoring ability that other teams would welcome with open arms. McBride isn't much of an initiator, though, which again leads to some crossover with Nickel.

There is a scenario where New York, later in the season, thinks it can get by without McBride if Nickel is immediately successful and the second unit overall looks strong. Then it'd make a ton of sense to trade McBride before he walks as a free agent, especially if it could lead to an upgrade at backup center (or whatever other needs may pop up during the year).

Further down the depth chart is where they could instantly siphon away some playing time with less-established rotation players.

Despite being 34 years old, Jeremy Clarkson fits into that boat since his role in the Big Apple fluctuated throughout last campaign and the Finals run. He didn't light up the basket in his first year as a Knick, so he's not coming in with any big job security.

He even waived his no-trade power to return to New York, which hints the team could explore a split later this season. And after spending 34% of his minutes (per Basketball Reference) at small forward in 2025-26, Clarkson has playing time he'll lose to Nickel even if he sticks around.

Mohamed Diawara is another bench player who's put on notice by Nickel's showing.

Even on the heels of a four-year extension, Diawara hasn't locked down any defined role with the team. The intro to his second NBA season hasn't gone well, either, with a rough showing at Summer League after being expected to dominate.

Both Diawara and Nickel have similar builds and hopes as 3-and-D forwards. That sets up a competition between the two if the latter is given a chance as a rookie. While Diawara has the slight experience edge, the Knicks also set up trade and release possibilities with his contract, so it's not out of the question for him to be passed up by another young piece.

It's apparent that Nickel has many potential avenues to shaking up New York's rotation, which creates a good problem for the team to have after seemingly hitting on a second-round gem.

Add us as a preferred source on Google