Alba Berlin's Jack Kayil selected by Houston in the second round of the NBA Draft and immediately traded to the New York Knicks

The Knicks are the reigning NBA champions and had previously won the title with German center Ariel Hukporti. With the move to the Knicks, Kayil could in the future play on a team in which a fellow countryman is already active.

Kayil is 20 years old and plays the guard position for Alba Berlin. The club had clinched the German championship on Sunday in the fifth final game against FC Bayern Munich. Just a few days later, the Berlin native was in the spotlight of the North American professional league.

Two German talents already selected the day before

Kayil was visibly moved by the selection: „Es ist eine Ehre. Ich freue mich sehr für die Jungs. Es ist großartig für unser Land. Basketball als Sport wächst weiter in Deutschland."

Already the day before, two other German talents had made the jump to the NBA. Hannes Steinbach, who is also 20 years old, was selected with the 14th pick by the Charlotte Hornets from North Carolina. Shortly afterward, the same Hornets also selected Christian Anderson with the 18th pick. According to sources close to the Draft, both players will receive guaranteed contracts.

Interior Senator praises Alba's youth development work

With Steinbach, Anderson, and Kayil, the number of German NBA professionals could rise to up to ten in the coming season. In the just-completed season, seven German players were active in the league: Dennis Schröder (Cleveland), Franz Wagner (Orlando), Moritz Wagner (Orlando), Tristan da Silva (Orlando), Maximilian Kleber (Los Angeles Lakers), Isaiah Hartenstein (Oklahoma City), and Ariel Hukporti (New York Knicks).

Iris Spranger (SPD) congratulated the club and the player. „Ich freue mich, dass Jack Kayil den Sprung in die NBA geschafft hat. Sein Erfolg steht beispielhaft für die herausragende Nachwuchsarbeit von Alba Berlin. Mit Franz Wagner, Moritz Wagner und nun Jack Kayil unterstreicht Alba seinen Ruf als Talentschmiede des internationalen Basketballs."

In doing so, Spranger honored the work of the capital city club, which had brought Franz and Moritz Wagner, two other former players, into the world's strongest basketball league. In the politician's view, the renewed success of an Alba player underscores the importance of youth development in Berlin.

Outlook on the new NBA season

For Kayil, the Draft closes a circle that had begun just a few days earlier with the German championship title. The move from the Rockets to the Knicks brings him to a team that has just won the NBA title – a constellation that is unusual for a 20-year-old rookie.

The coming weeks will show whether Kayil will get his first playing opportunities in New York or initially gain game experience in the Knicks' farm team. What is already clear now is that with him, Steinbach, and Anderson, three new German faces will appear in the NBA.

The article is based on a dpa report.