New York Knicks second-round pick Tyler Nickel remains unsigned less than a week before training camp, as reported by James L. Edwards III of The Athletic.

As of Sept. 23, Nickel had yet to agree to a contract with New York after being selected with the 47th pick in the 2026 NBA Draft out of Vanderbilt.

“From everything I’ve heard from talking to people throughout the league, Nickel and the Knicks are expected to reach some kind of contract agreement,” Edwards wrote.

The situation is complicated by Nickel’s college eligibility. A federal court ruling last month granted him a fifth year, giving the forward another option if an NBA agreement does not materialize.

Nickel could also potentially earn more through NIL compensation in college than he would on a two-way contract with the Knicks.

“I heard earlier this offseason that Nickel was, at some point, considering a return to college,” Edwards added.

New York’s handling of the situation has also raised the possibility that the Knicks are trying to create a standard roster spot for Nickel rather than placing him on a two-way deal.

“Could the Knicks be trying to make a trade to open up a roster spot to give Nickel a standard deal?” Edwards wrote. “The way this situation has played out, it sort of feels that way.”

That possibility connects with New York’s broader roster situation, as the Knicks could still make another move before the season begins.

Pacome Dadiet has been mentioned as one of the easier players to move if New York decides to open another roster spot, while Miles McBride has also emerged as a possible trade candidate.

Source: https://basketnews.com/news-255996-knicks-rookie-could-make-shock-return-to-ncaa-as-contract-situation-drags-on.html

mrb4 | PHX

102 | an hour ago

pretty wild how quickly we got to the point where dudes drafted by the reigning NBA champs are considering going back to college because they can make more money there lol.

Dylan7346 | NYK

3 | an hour ago

If it’s a standard deal his salary would be a bit over $2m I think, pretty crazy his NIL deal would compare to that. And if it’s more you’d think he may want exposure in the league over a 5th year but who knows

PianoJealous307 [OP]

5 | an hour ago

Nickel could also potentially earn more through NIL compensation in college than he would on a two-way contract with the Knicks

You have to compare the NIL to the 2-way, not to the standard contract.

If the Knicks offered a standard contract he would already signed.

mrb4 | PHX

10 | an hour ago

sounds like they wouldn’t be considering him on a standard contract if he didn’t have the go back to college option in his back pocket. My guess is he probably could make more NIL money than he could on a two way so he’s trying to use that as leverage to get a standard deal.

Dylan7346 | NYK

4 | an hour ago

True I read it more carefully. He’s probably going back to college if only a two-way contract

darkjurai | NYK

1 | 24 minutes ago

True, but they retain his NBA draft rights anyway, so it’s not a terrible situation for the Knicks assuming they like what they see. Just might end up on a rookie contract one season later.

d7h7n | DAL

2 | an hour ago

It would basically just be Veesaar’s contract. 4 years/9M. The first two years is 3.5M guaranteed. He would get around that much in college probably.

Sektsioon | DAL

2 | an hour ago

Veesaar also had a 5M a year offer from North Carolina to return and I think even bigger offers from others, he just wanted to chase his NBA dream. Unfortunately done his knee in training last week.

GoldenBoyRecords | NYK

1 | an hour ago

It would be less than 2M most likely

theyoloGod | TOR

1 | an hour ago

Exposure to what? Riding the bench?

johnjohnjohn93

6 | an hour ago

Tbf it’s only if it’s a 2-way contract so it’s more like “G-league with NBA champions or college” lol

IanicRR | TOR

37 | an hour ago

NCAA has completely lost the plot. They are ruining their sports and it’s sad to see.

SwiftieForLife | SAC

19 | an hour ago

This was actually one of the better moves they’ve made recently it just resulted in a weird one year thing. They got rid of medical redshirts and and regular redshirts and community college waivers and Trinidad Chambliss’ “a doctor said I had a boo boo five years ago” waivers and just gave everyone five years to play regardless of anything.

Krillin113 | PHI

9 | an hour ago

How is this ruining it? The Knicks can sign him, but they don’t have a roster spot, so it’s an option to go back and make money. What is this ruining lmao

1mYourHuckleberry93 | TOR

4 | an hour ago

It’s a fucking joke. When I was going to do track in the states I had to sign shit saying I’ve never been paid for my sport, otherwise I forfeit my amateur status. They were so serious about it. Now it’s do whatever the fuck you want

National-Size-7205 | MIA

9 | 38 minutes ago

Sorry that happened to you but the way it’s done now is the right way.

CazOnReddit | TOR

-1 | an hour ago

Capitalism: First time?

RoyalOakPiguet | NYK

44 | an hour ago

Personally don’t have much of an issue with guys who don’t ever play for a pro team being able to go back, especially if it gives them leverage

TiddiesAnonymous | Germany

4 | 44 minutes ago

Happens in baseball and hockey all the time.

Larry Bird did it for crying out loud.

YSLAnunoby | TOR

2 | 34 minutes ago

NCAA allowing eligibility after players play CHL also has drastically changed CHL. Lots of US hockey players in the CHL drafts when before they’d stay playing in their regional leagues so they could do NCAA after

Variation99a

1 | 38 minutes ago

That’s not the same. I don’t know about hockey but in baseball, you lose the rights of the player once he goes back. The window closes once he goes back to college. In basketball, you don’t. It’s generally used with international players but the reason it’s prevented with college players is literally because of Larry Bird. That loophole would cause massive chaos in the development system. Once they realize how brilliantly Red Auerbach exploited this loophole, they had to close it but now it’s being opened up again due to the new rules.

You would essentially using college basketball as a farm system without any repercussions and you can delay contracts to optimize cap space, which also baseball does not have.

TiddiesAnonymous | Germany

1 | 21 minutes ago

In the NHL, the team gets the rights for 4 years. Or 5 if he stays in school the whole time.

purplenyellowrose909 | MIN

7 | an hour ago

They always say these guys would earn more in college, but then they always jump on whatever NBA contract they can get

OKC2023champs | OKC

12 | an hour ago

Dudes that aren’t top prospects aren’t making that much on NIL. I mean they are. But it’s not as insane as the top.

It’s not worth going back to college possibly underperforming/ getting injured and flaming out.

purplenyellowrose909 | MIN

4 | an hour ago

A lot of top prospects probably have their NBA future in their NIL evaluations when some company hands them a couple million to wear their watch or whatever too

d7h7n | DAL

3 | an hour ago

They’re just betting on themselves to land the NBA second contract as soon as possible.

Glum-Professional925 | NYK

2 | an hour ago

Well in the case of Nickel the argument is, he was told he couldn’t come back and would have if he was told he could

stonecutter7

3 | an hour ago

Honestly…I dont even care if they go back after the NBA. Let Lebron play for Michigan, I dont care.

I do think they should have to be actual students, though. There should be strict coursework requirements. Lebron HAS to get, say, 21 credit hours a year. And in classes available to the general student body. And spend one year in the dorms and eating in the cafeteria!

RoyalOakPiguet | NYK

3 | an hour ago

I went to a D1 school and had classes with multiple top athletes, including some that went to the NBA and the Olympics. They did jack shit and got the same degree I did. If they bothered to show up they’d come in, headphones on, hood up, put their backpack on the desk, put their head down on it, then do nothing/sleep until the end of class. Theyd give the teacher a note that said they couldn’t go to class for 85%+ of the year and the teacher would have to be okay with it. That’s just how college sports go.

d7h7n | DAL

3 | an hour ago

That’s how it works in high school too.

Had a future all pro NFL player from my old high school whose English teacher was forced to give him better grades cause he was getting recruited by a big school and they needed to make sure he could get in. Teacher was super pissed.

I don’t blame those kids ever though, it’s the corruption cause of the money being made off of them. What I like about NIL is how upfront everything is now for high school and college.

super_sayanything | CHI

2 | an hour ago

Basketball player in my class… this was it. He was so dumb. He also wasn’t even good at basketball. Teacher was otherwise a tough grader, I guess he passed.

stonecutter7

1 | an hour ago

See, in my perfect vision, THATs what gets prohibited. I mean, sleep and be anti-social if you want to, but you gotta take the tests and pass.

SeaworthinessSome454

2 | an hour ago

More than 21 credit hours. I’d say 32 but bare minimum 24 (12/semester is usually what a school calls a full time student)

stonecutter7

0 | an hour ago

My half baked logic was 12 x 2, but then Ill give you one drop because sometimes professors are nuts.

pollinium | MIN

1 | an hour ago

This dude clearly just wants a chance to form a study group with lebron

stonecutter7

2 | an hour ago

Look, having wacky adventures with a ragtag gang of thrown together misfits will be good for his development too

Variation99a

1 | an hour ago

No this is a major problem and almost no one supports it but due to the recent rules, many athletes are trying to take advantage of it. Once you declare for the draft, you forfeit any remaining college eligibility. However the gray area of these rules are now being taken advantage of by both the players and especially some college coaches who want pros.

The rule was literally put in place to prevent what the Celtics did with Larry Bird. That was a huge loophole and it allowed the Celtics to build a dynasty. Imagine I can just draft prospects who you know won’t get any playing time right away as rookies but would be the man if they stayed another year in college and then develop much easier with more playing time. You can use college basketball as a farm system, while the prospect still can make just as much in the college as a rookie so they aren’t losing out either. We know college basketball develops young players way better than the G League with the Ignite. That should not be allowed since what the Celtics did with Larry Bird was genius at the time without the rules, but clearly not something that should be allowed today.

Alexcox95 | MIA

8 | an hour ago

They really nickel and dimed him

axecalibur | NYK

4 | an hour ago

Nickel back to college

d7h7n | DAL

8 | an hour ago

Until you sign the papers, don’t trust any NBA team. He could have a bad training camp and the Knicks could put him on a two-way instead. I would go back to college if I were him. It’s almost October.

DanTheMan14331 | NYK

4 | an hour ago

He’s not getting a standard contract out of camp. My guess is he’ll get a two way though if I were him I’d probably just go back to college for the year

ObiOneKenobae | NYK

3 | 32 minutes ago

Nickel I’ve been expecting on either a two-way or back to college. There’s definitely some kind of move NY is working towards though. I think the question is if it’s just Dadiet, or if they also move off McBride with his extension situation.

Dangerous_Ad5039

2 | an hour ago

How are teams allowed to draft players when they have too many players on the roster? Shouldn’t the roster be cut down to make space for the player drafted?

d7h7n | DAL

6 | an hour ago

Their rights get drafted, until the player signs the contract they’re not on the team.

YSLAnunoby | TOR

2 | 32 minutes ago

It’s a 2nd round contract which isn’t a guaranteed signing or rookie scale contract, just the rights sit sign a player. This is not dissimilar to when a player is signed from Europe but stays over for another year like Valanciunas or Yabusele

fastlikeanascar | Gran Destino

1 | an hour ago

Would the Knicks keep his draft rights if he goes back to college..?

DanTheMan14331 | NYK

2 | an hour ago

Yes

BattyBillz

1 | an hour ago

Go get that Nil $$

Basic_Mastodon3078 | NYK

4 | an hour ago

I think NIL is so overinflated man. Pay college athletes, but this is all too much. If the professional defending champions in one of the biggest markets in the world can’t offer a more appealing contract than college? That’s insane. (Granted rookie scale contracts give much less leeway for the team to increase them. Getting rid of, or raising the minimums on, rookie contracts may help combat NIL and help NBA teams with negations but that’s another conversation.)

d7h7n | DAL

5 | an hour ago

Rookie scale contracts are only for first rounders. Second rounders can sign multi-year contracts but they have no leverage to negotiate higher than the NBA minimum salary. So your suggestion would be raising the NBA vet minimum which the owners would never agree to do that without some sort of benefit for them, ie. reduce amount of two-ways per team from 3 to 1.

Various_Knowledge226

3 | an hour ago

I really don’t think that if a team drafts you or you declare your eligibility for a draft, that you should be allowed to play in college sports again. That should not ever be allowed

RoyalOakPiguet | NYK

5 | an hour ago

And why is that

1mYourHuckleberry93 | TOR

-2 | an hour ago

Because it’s amateur sports and you’re no longer an amateur

RoyalOakPiguet | NYK

4 | 44 minutes ago

For declaring for the draft? And with NIL and stuff especially college sports are essentially professional leagues. They were before then too but even more so now

YSLAnunoby | TOR

1 | 29 minutes ago

But the drafted players are not playing pro level yet which is the line for being amateur or not. Other sports have players drafted in pro leagues and still playing NCAA, basketball is the odd one out. I get the sentiment for situations like the guy who was drafted, played G League, and is trying to go back to college after

DanTheMan14331 | NYK

4 | an hour ago

Tbf this is a one-time exception. Nickel did not have any eligibility remaining at the time of the draft, but the NCAA changed a rule that gave him an extra year after that, so this is an opportunity for him to make a choice he was previously not allowed to make. This will not be how the system works in future years.

So he didn’t really “declare eligibility for the draft” because coming back to college was not an option at the time.