Tyler Nickel
American basketball player (born 2003)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tyler Christopher Nickel (born September 5, 2003) is an American 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.
| No. 55 – 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 | 220 lb (100 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 |
| Stats at NBA.com | |
| Stats at Basketball Reference | |
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.[1] 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.[2] He committed to play college basketball at North Carolina.[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 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 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.[7][8]
Vanderbilt
Nickel transferred to play for the Vanderbilt Commodores.[9] In 2024-25, 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 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 started all 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]