AI- Team
- ALBA Berlin
- League
- BBL
- Position
- Guard
- Number
- #7
- Height
- 6′3″ (1.90 m)
- Age
- 20 years
- Born
- Jan 27, 2006, Berlin
- NBA rights
- New York Knicks (2026, #39)
About Jack Kayil
The Berlin-born point guard came up through TuS Neukölln and ALBA Berlin's youth program, then played for RASTA Vechta and Serbia's Mega Basket before winning the 2026 German title with ALBA as the BBL's Best Young Player. The Houston Rockets drafted him 39th overall in 2026 and traded his rights to the New York Knicks right away. Instead of going to Gonzaga, he signed a five-year deal with ALBA; the Knicks are stashing him in Europe for now.
Season stats
2026/27 season · 0 games
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Jack Kayil's career
Jack Kayil was born on 27 January 2006 in Berlin. He started playing in the youth system of the Berlin club TuS Neukölln before joining the youth academy of Alba Berlin. In the 2022–23 season he made 20 appearances for Alba's second men's team in the 2nd Regionalliga. With Alba's youth team he won the German U19 championship in 2023. In July 2023 SC Rasta Vechta announced his signing, initially for its youth program and its second men's team in the ProA. After the 2023–24 season he moved to KK Mega Basket in Serbia and played in the ABA League. For the 2025–26 season he returned to Alba on loan and became German champion in 2026.
In November 2025 Kayil had committed to Gonzaga University, but in April 2026 he gave up that commitment and declared for the NBA Draft. In June 2026 the Houston Rockets selected him with the 39th pick of the second round. He was immediately traded to the New York Knicks, who hold his draft rights. As a second-round pick, he had no guaranteed contract. In August 2026 he signed a five-year contract with Alba Berlin. In October 2026 he suffered a calf muscle injury and is currently injured.
Kayil won the B-Division European Championship with the Germany U16 team in 2022. In 2023 he helped the U18 team win bronze at the European Championship, and in 2024 the team became European champions in Tampere. At the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, Germany reached the final but lost to the United States. In November 2024 head coach Álex Mumbrú called him up to the senior national team for the first time, and he made his debut in a EuroBasket 2025 qualifier against Sweden. At the end of 2025 he played two matches in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers.
Facts from: Wikipedia (de), Wikipedia (en), Wikidata