Jack Kayil

Jack Freeman Kayil (born 27 January 2006) is a German professional basketball player for Alba Berlin of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL).

Professional career Club career Kayil played in the youth system of the Berlin-based club TuS Neukölln, before joining the youth academy of Alba Berlin. During the 2022–23 season, he made 20 appearances for Alba Berlin’s second men’s team in the 2nd Regionalliga, averaging 12.3 points per game.

With Alba Berlin’s youth team, Kayil won the German U19 championship in 2023 and was named the best rookie of the Nachwuchs-Basketball-Bundesliga (NBBL).

In July 2023, SC Rasta Vechta announced Kayil’s signing, initially assigning him to the club’s youth program and second men’s team in the ProA league.

In May 2024, playing for the joint youth team Quakenbrück/Vechta, Kayil won another German U19 championship and was named Most Valuable Player of the final tournament.

After the conclusion of the 2023–24 season, Kayil left Vechta and signed with Serbian club KK Mega Basket. During the 2024–25 season in the ABA League, he averaged 7.7 points across 18 appearances.

In 2025, Kayil returned to Alba Berlin on loan. He averaged 12.4 points per game in 32 appearances and helped Alba win the German Bundesliga.

On August 7, 2026, Kayil signed a five-year contract with Alba Berlin.

NBA On November 19, 2025, Kayil committed to play college basketball at Gonzaga University. On April 24, 2026, he announced to forgo his commitment and declared for the NBA Draft.

On June 24, 2026, the Houston Rockets selected Kayil with the 39th overall pick in the 2026 NBA draft. He was immediately traded alongside a 2029 second-round pick to the New York Knicks in exchange for the draft rights of Bruce Thornton, the 31st overall pick of the draft. He was the third German player selected in the draft after Hannes Steinbach (14th) and Christian Anderson (18th), who were both selected by the Charlotte Hornets.

National team career In 2022, Kayil competed at the U16 Division B European Championship and won the tournament with the Germany U16 national team.

At the 2023 U18 European Championship, he averaged 10 points per game and helped Germany secure the bronze medal. In August 2024, Kayil won the gold medal with the Germany U18 national team at the European Championship held in Tampere, Finland.

In November 2024, national team head coach Álex Mumbrú called Kayil up to the senior Germany national team for the first time, where he made his debut in a EuroBasket 2025 qualifier against Sweden.

At the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, Kayil reached the final with Germany, where the team lost to the United States. He averaged 11.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 6.6 assists per game during the tournament. At the end 2025, Kayil played two matches for the Germany senior team in the 2027 FIBA World Cup qualifiers, helping them in wins over Israel and Cyprus, leading Germany in assists in the second game.

Achievements and awards

International Gold medal – U18 European Championship: 2024 Gold medal – U16 Division B European Championship: 2022 Bronze medal – U18 European Championship: 2023 Bronze medal – Albert Schweitzer Tournament: 2024

Club German U19 champion: 2023, 2024

Individual NBBL Top Four Most Valuable Player: 2024 EuroLeague Adidas Next Generation Tournament Final Eight – All-Tournament Team: 2024