Tyler Nickel
American basketball player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tyler Christopher Nickel (born September 5, 2003) is an American professional basketball player for the New York Knicks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels, Virginia Tech Hokies, and Vanderbilt Commodores.
| New York Knicks | |
|---|---|
| Position | Small forward |
| League | NBA |
| Personal information | |
| Born | September 5, 2003 Harrisonburg, Virginia, U.S. |
| Listed height | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) |
| Listed weight | 222 lb (101 kg) |
| Career information | |
| High school | East Rockingham (Elkton, Virginia) |
| College |
|
| NBA draft | 2026: 2nd round, 47th overall pick |
| Drafted by | New York Knicks |
| Playing career | 2026–present |
| Career history | |
| 2026–present | New York Knicks |
Early life and high school
Nickel attended East Rockingham High School located in Elkton, Virginia. As a junior, he averaged 33.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.[1] Coming out of high school, Nickel was rated as a four-star recruit by 247Sports, where he held offers from schools such as Butler, LSU, North Carolina, and Virginia Tech.[2] Ultimately, he committed to play college basketball for the North Carolina Tar Heels.[3]
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 conclusion of the season, he entered the NCAA transfer portal.[4]
Virginia Tech
Nickel transferred to play for the Virginia Tech Hokies.[5] On January 10, 2024, he dropped 24 points and five three-pointers, in a victory versus Clemson.[6] Nickel finished the 2023-24 season, appearing in 33 games with seven starts, averaging 8.8 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game. After the conclusion of the season, he once again entered the NCAA transfer portal.[7][8]
Vanderbilt
Nickel transferred to play for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[9] In his first-year as a Commodore during the 2024-25 season, he started in all 33 games, averaging 10.4 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game.[10][11] On December 13, 2025, Nickel dropped a career-high 30 points and eight three-pointers, setting a school record, in a win against Central Arkansas.[12] On February 14, 2026, he scored a game-high 25 points, in a victory over Texas A&M.[13] Nickel finished the 2025-26 season, starting in 36 games, averaging 13.5 points, 3.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 40% from three.[14] After the conclusion of the season, he declared for the 2026 NBA draft.[15][16]