How Tyler Nickel is making case for Knicks roster spot with one massive skill

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New York Knicks fans would likely not have been very familiar with Tyler Nickel when the Knicks drafted him in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft.

Now, Nickel is quickly putting himself onto the radar of everyone who wears blue and orange.

The Knicks have played a pair of games, and Nickel looks like he has a chance to stick around.

He has hit 47.6% of his 3-pointers on high volume through two games of NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.

That was a skill everyone felt would translate, and it has in the early going as Nickel has averaged 17 points per game through the two contests.

Second-round picks don't often stand out like this at Summer League, but that's what Nickel has done so far in Vegas.

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How can Tyler Nickel make the Knicks' roster?

Nickel has to keep knocking down shots, and he can keep displaying his surprisingly impactful defense.

"He’s also shown off his motor and sneaky defensive abilities," The Athletic's James Edwards wrote in a new article on Monday. "Nickel has an NBA future if the defense against better competition shows itself, as his shooting, no question, will translate to basketball’s highest level."

In a recent answer, Nickel referenced NBA sharpshooters Duncan Robinson, Max Strus and Sam Hauser as players he tries to emulate to some extent.

The Knicks would love to end up with a high-level NBA shooter like one of those guys, and at least as far as the outside shot itself is concerned, Nickel appears to have himself a serious weapon.