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# Gonzaga NBA Draft Recap: Graham Ike Signs With Warriors, Jack Kayil Taken by Knicks
- URL: https://www.emeraldcityspectrum.com/gonzaga-bulldogs-draft-recap-graham-ike-signs-golden-state-warriors-jack-kayil-new-york-knicks/
- Published: 2026-06-25T18:15:00.000Z
- Updated: 2026-06-25T18:15:00.000Z
- Author: Corbin Smith
- Tags: News, Analysis, Gonzaga Men's Basketball, Graham Ike, Jack Kayil

For the second straight year, the Gonzaga Bulldogs weren’t represented in the 60 available slots of the NBA Draft.

But shortly after 2026’s “Mr. Irrelevant”, Malique Lewis, was selected by the Washington Wizards, former Zag Graham Ike didn’t remain without a team for long, reportedly agreeing to an Exhibit-10 deal with the Golden State Warriors, first reported by The Consensus NBA. Just like Ryan Nembhard did last summer with the Dallas Mavericks, Ike will look to break into the NBA after being an undrafted free agent.

Meanwhile, ex-Zag commit Jack Kayil was one of the prospects who did hear his name called in Brooklyn. Although the reported first-round feedback he received didn’t come to fruition, his chapter with the Bulldogs officially came to an end after the reigning champion New York Knicks selected him 39th overall on Wednesday.

**Ike Inks an Exhibit-10 Deal with the Warriors**

After Golden State drafted Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg and Florida State wing Lajae Jones, it continued to bolster its frontcourt depth with the signing of Ike.

The Warriors were one of 13 teams that the third-team All-American worked out with in the pre-draft process, so it’s no surprise that Ike latched on with a team shortly after the draft’s conclusion. The Exhibit-10 contract details a one-year, non-guaranteed training camp deal for the NBA’s minimum salary. A conditional bonus is attached, dependent on whether the player is waived before the regular season and then joins the franchise’s G League squad for at least 60 days. In this window, the team could also convert the contract into a standard two-way deal, where the player can split time between the parent franchise and the G League affiliate throughout the league year.

Currently, Golden State’s situation with its returning forwards and bigs is a little in flux, perhaps opening the door more ajar for Ike to find a stable spot on the roster. Longtime Warrior Draymond Green is entering his age-36 season and, in all likelihood, will accept a player option for the final year on his contract. Jimmy Butler is also on the last season of his deal, but will be 38 and coming off a torn ACL. 40-year old Al Horford had a player option to accept, but just inked a new two-year contract after he showed signs of life last season, as he enters year 20 in the NBA. 7-0 center Quinten Post is the only big man in the group on the younger side of 30, but is a restricted free agent, and could be out the door if another team signs him to an offer sheet and Golden State doesn’t match it.

Albeit undersized at just under 6-10, Ike could fill a role for the Warriors that they haven’t had in years. A consistent, reliable center who could help anchor their backline defensively while providing skill and versatility in Golden State’s complex offense didn’t stop them from winning championships in the past, but could boost their chances as the final years of the Steph Curry era continue to wane.

The 24-year-old has taken steps forward with his back to the basket and at the NBA Draft Combine, measured in with an impressive 7-5 wingspan and 9-2 standing reach. Ike also improved his three-point shot, building on his offensive game with an already above-average ability to finish inside, where he combines advanced touch and footwork.

After averaging a career-high 19.9 points and 8.0 rebounds on 62.7% true shooting en route to a WCC Player of the Year award in his senior season, Ike’s next stop will surely be Summer League play, where he can make more of a case for himself to be on the Warriors’ roster come this fall.

**Jack Kayil drafted in the second round, 39th overall by the Knicks**

Four days ago, Kayil’s FIBA team, Alba Berlin, mounted a 20-point comeback and hoisted the Bundesliga championship trophy after defeating Bayern Munich in five games. Now, the 20-year-old combo guard fulfilled his ultimate goal: making it to the NBA.

There is little doubt that a full season with the Zags, competing with and against an increased pool of vying NBA prospects, would only boost Kayil’s stock in next year’s draft. But he pounced on the optimistic pre-draft feedback he received this spring, even though he didn’t get a chance to participate in the Combine due to his obligations with Alba Berlin, seeing no reason to delay his dream any longer.

“I wanted to play since Day 1 in the NBA, and I had the opportunity, so I took it right away,” Kayil said in a press conference shortly after he was drafted.

In a mid-draft trade, the New York Knicks sent the No. 31 and No. 55 overall picks to the Houston Rockets in exchange for the No. 39, No. 53, and a 2029 second-rounder via the Sacramento Kings. The first pick of that haul was used to take Kayil, as he and Vanderbilt’s Tyler Nickel are the two newest additions to the reigning champions.

Shortly after the Knicks defeated the San Antonio Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals, their owner, James Dolan, discussed a desire to avoid the second apron, a luxury tax threshold with heavy financial punishments. This likely means cutting ties with several of New York’s auxiliary players this offseason, therefore making their moves on the margins, like drafting Kayil in the second round, more important in a quest to capture back-to-back titles.

With these monetary restraints, Kayil seems like a draft-and-stash candidate on the surface, where he can continue to develop overseas while still being a member of the organization, especially since Kayil initially said that he prefers that avenue over playing college basketball anyway. But now that he’s got his foot in the door, Kayil is preparing to hit the ground running, not get on a plane back to Germany.

“…My plan is to stay here and get into the organization and keep growing with them,” he said.

He went on to mention Knicks star guard and Finals MVP Jalen Brunson as a player he looks forward to learning from, as both are backcourt players and were selected in the second round of the draft, each sharing high basketball IQs as well. Kayil does have more size and a heightened capacity to be impactful defensively, but Brunson has unreal touch and an elite finishing ability through contact, which Kayil still needs polishing on.

It will be interesting to follow what Kayil and the Knicks agree upon contract-wise, as well as the type of role he fills this year and beyond on a team that is in win-now mode.