Tyler Nickel

Tyler Nickel
No. 55 – New York Knicks
PositionSmall forward
LeagueNBA
Personal information
Born (2003-09-05) September 5, 2003 (age 23)
Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S.
Listed height
6 ft 7 in (2.01 m)
Listed weight
220 lb (100 kg)
Career information
High schoolEast Rockingham
(Elkton, Virginia)
College
2026: 2nd round, 47th overall pick
Drafted byPhoenix Suns
Playing career
2026–present
Career history
2026–presentNew York Knicks
2026–present→Westchester Knicks
Stats at NBA.com Edit this at Wikidata
Stats at Basketball Reference Edit this at Wikidata

Tyler Christopher Nickel (born September 5, 2003) is an American basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA), on a two-way contract with the Westchester Knicks of the NBA G League. He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Tech Hokies and Vanderbilt Commodores.

Early life and high school

Nickel attended East Rockingham High School in Elkton, Virginia. As a junior, he averaged 33.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game. Coming out of high school, Nickel was rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, receiving offers from schools such as Butler, LSU, North Carolina and Virginia Tech. He committed to play college basketball at North Carolina.

College career

North Carolina

As a freshman during the 2022–23 season, Nickel played in 25 games, averaging 2.1 points and 0.6 rebounds per game. After the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Virginia Tech

Nickel transferred to play for the Virginia Tech Hokies. On January 10, 2024, he dropped 24 points and five three-pointers in a victory versus Clemson. Nickel finished the 2023–24 season averaging 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists in 33 games played with seven starts. After the season, he once again entered the NCAA transfer portal.

Vanderbilt

Nickel transferred to play for the Vanderbilt Commodores. In 2024–25, he started in all 33 games, averaging 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds and 0.9 assists per game. On December 13, 2025, Nickel dropped a career-high 30 points and eight three-pointers in a win against Central Arkansas. On February 14, 2026, he scored a game-high 25 points in a victory over Texas A&M. Nickel started all 36 games, averaging 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 40% from three. After the conclusion of the season, he declared for the 2026 NBA draft.

Professional career

On June 24, 2026, Nickel was selected by the Phoenix Suns with the 47th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft then immediately traded to the New York Knicks in a multi-team trade that sent Koa Peat to the Suns.

References

  1. ↑ Fowler, Chapel (September 14, 2021). "Will UNC basketball land 4-star 2022 forward Tyler Nickel this week? Experts say yes". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  2. ↑ Fowler, Chapel (September 2, 2021). "UNC basketball enters an either-or situation with two 2022 recruits. How will the Tar Heels handle it?". The Fayetteville Observer. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  3. ↑ Eck, TJ (November 10, 2021). "Nickel officially signs with UNC". WHSV.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  4. ↑ Pearson, Zack (March 21, 2023). "Former UNC forward drawing interest in transfer portal". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  5. ↑ Tipton, Joe. "North Carolina transfer Tyler Nickel commits to Virginia Tech". On3.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  6. ↑ Haren, Jarvis (January 11, 2024). "East Rockingham grad Tyler Nickel shines in Virginia Tech win over No. 21 Clemson". WHSV.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  7. ↑ Haren, Jarvis (March 29, 2024). "REPORT: East Rock grad Nickel to enter transfer portal". WHSV.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  8. ↑ Gershon, Aaron (April 2, 2024). "Kentucky in contact with Virginia Tech transfer Tyler Nickel". 247Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  9. ↑ Gerson, Aria (February 24, 2026). "How Tyler Nickel, Jalen Washington basketball journey ended at Vanderbilt basketball". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  10. ↑ Landers, Eli (December 7, 2025). "Tyler Nickel: Center of gravity". The Vanderbilt Hustler. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  11. ↑ Dwyer, Joey (July 8, 2025). ""I think being at the three gives me some more opportunity," Tyler Nickel preparing for position change in 2025-26". SI.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  12. ↑ Gerson, Aria (December 14, 2025). "Why Vanderbilt basketball needed Tyler Nickel's big night vs Central Arkansas". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  13. ↑ Skrbina, Paul (February 14, 2026). "Vanderbilt men's basketball proves in win it's hardly a one-man show". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  14. ↑ Sweet, Randall (June 17, 2026). "How Vanderbilt's Tyler Nickel Became a 2026 NBA Draft Prospect". SI.com. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  15. ↑ Palmateer, Tyler (May 1, 2026). "Vanderbilt's Tyler Tanner, Tyler Nickel invited to 2026 NBA Draft combine". The Tennessean. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  16. ↑ O'Connor, Kevin (June 16, 2026). "Tyler Nickel is one of the best distance shooters in the 2026 NBA draft". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved June 17, 2026.
  17. ↑ "Knicks' Tyler Nickel: Heading to New York". CBS Sports. June 25, 2026. Retrieved June 25, 2026.