The NBA’s annual Las Vegas Summer League is a melting pot of basketball. A two-week long hoops extravaganza where top picks square off against each other, reunions are aplenty in the Vegas heat and some new faces make a name for themselves on the NBA stage.One of the breakout stars of Summer League thus far is Tyler Nickel, the Knicks’ new sharpshooter who was the 47th pick in the draft. Through three games, he’s knocked down 13 three-pointers and has the shooting stroke that looks like it can translate to the next level immediately.He’s the type of player that makes you say, “who’s that guy?” if you were previously unaware of his game.tyler nickel is automatic 🤖 pic.twitter.com/AmhjJtrR0x— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) July 13, 2026The baggy jersey, the black undershirt and even his No. 55 jersey that gives him an easy “Double Nickel” nickname has only added to his Summer League lore. Knicks wing and new NBA champion Josh Hart took notice of Nickel’s game immediately following New York’s first game in Vegas, as he wrote on his X account, “55 got a chop.”Vegas Summer League brings plenty of overreactions, but Nickel appears to have a real NBA skill already. That begs the question: Will he actually help the Knicks in their title defense? Here’s what you need to know about New York’s standout rookie and how he could fit into an already deep roster.Everything to know about Knicks second-round pick Tyler NickelTyler Nickel spent his final two college seasons at Vanderbilt | Johnnie Izquierdo/Getty ImagesThe Knicks took Nickel with the 47th pick of last month’s NBA draft. After winning the title with a roster that’s only getting more expensive and concerns about touching the NBA’s dreaded second apron, New York traded out of the first round and ended up with two second round picks: Nickel and Jack Kayil, a guard out of Germany that was picked 39th.Nickel was a four-year college player and spent his final two seasons at Vanderbilt. He began his collegiate career at North Carolina before he transferred to Virginia Tech after one season. He left the Hokies after his sophomore year and landed with Vanderbilt during his second time in the NCAA’s transfer portal. As a freshman with the Tar Heels, he averaged 6.0 minutes per game off the bench on a North Carolina team that included Caleb Love, Armando Bacot, Leaky Black and Pete Nance.His workload increased dramatically at Virginia Tech as he averaged 8.8 points per game in 33 appearances and seven starts. He became a two-year starter once he became a Commodore, arriving with new Vandy coach Mark Byington. Nickel shot 40% or better from three-point range in both seasons with the program as one of the top marksman across college basketball. Vanderbilt went to the NCAA tournament both seasons he was with the program—the Commodores were a No. 5 seed last season and lost to Nebraska in the second round.Nickel averaged a career-high 13.5 points per game as a senior before he declared for the draft. The shooting is his standout skill, but he made strides as a defender last season which he’s already showcasing at Summer League. At 6’7", his size is a plus and he’s an elite off-ball mover which gets him consistent clean looks.Can Tyler Nickel make an impact for the defending champs as a rookie?How, or if, Nickel has a role on the Knicks in his first season remains to be seen. Per Spotrac, the Knicks have 13 of 15 spots filled on their standard roster for next season, while New York has all of its three two-way spots open.With just 13 players, the franchise is already hovering near the second apron (about $3.3 million shy, according to Spotrac). The Knicks lost big men Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti, to which they signed Andre Drummond to a one-year, veteran minimum deal as Karl-Anthony Towns’s backup.The roster is currently lacking a third center in case of injury or foul trouble—a third big is likely Knicks president Leon Rose’s top priority with the little space he has to work with. However, if Nickel ends up on a two-way deal, he can be active for the Knicks for up to 50 regular-season games. A two-way contract leaves the door open for New York to sign Nickel to a standard NBA contract when the franchise sees fit, say if he makes an immediate impact and looks like he could contribute in the playoffs.Nickel may have a path to real minutes with the Knicks, too. Tom Thibodeau was long reluctant to give young players significant time, but Mike Brown gave Hukporti, Tyler Kolek and Mohamed Diawara around 10 minutes per game apiece last season in his first year as the team’s coach. The stakes are as high as possible now that New York has a title to defend, but Nickel could bring his superior shooting off the bench as a microwave scorer, especially if Landry Shamet, Miles McBride or Jordan Clarkson have to miss any time.Tyler Nickel summer league game 2 pic.twitter.com/vNrWi59QWM— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) July 11, 2026For rookies—especially those of the second-round variety—to carve out a real immediate role, they must impact the game in more ways than one. Nickel improved defensively as a senior at Vanderbilt, recording career highs in both steals and blocks. He said at Summer League he wants to showcase his defensive ability although the shooting is what stands out.“Really moreso on the defensive side,” he said on Saturday. “I think everybody knows I can shoot the ball. Just show my physicality and my motor on the defensive end.”If he can do that, Brown will have a difficult time keeping the rookie sharpshooter off the floor. The silky shooting stroke has already popped. If there’s more to come, the rich only got richer with the Knicks’ addition of Nickel.More NBA from Sports IllustratedListen to SI’s NBA podcast, Open Floor, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow