Google translate for the win: https://www.abendblatt.de/sport/hamburg-...
“The goal remains the NBA”: Kayil consultant explains the background of the Alba deal
Berlin. The mega talent remains in Berlin. Did the national player gamble? His agent takes a detailed role on critical issues.
By Rupert Fabig, sports editor
08.08.2026, 16:30
“Five-year contract for Jack Kayil : Best Bundesliga and Champions League junior player signs with Alba Berlin until 2031. The championship hangover seems to continue, otherwise it is hard to explain with what sobriety Alba Berlin titled the contract extension of super talent Jack Kayil on Friday. In the humid and cheerful reality, the 20-year-old's continued commitment is no less than a tremendous coup.
After the national team player was drafted by NBA champion New York Knicks, the decision to return to the capital came as a surprise to many. Fans and those in charge celebrated it. Critics accused Kayil of risking a stagnation of his career. His advisor Milan Nikolić speaks exclusively in the Abendblatt about the background.
Hamburger Abendblatt: Mr. Nikolić, have you gambled?
Milan Nikolić: Every now and then I pass at the bar. I'll notice the next morning. Or what do you want to get out of?
We'll help you get on your feet. On the 25. October 2025 her client Jackson Kayil at Gonzaga University agrees. On 26. May of this year, you say, “Jack definitely won’t go to college” At the same time, NBA draft expert Jonathan Givony reports on first-round interest in Kayil. A month later, however, he is only drafted in the second round, but says about a return to Germany: “Not really my plan.” End of the song: He stays with Alba, for probably far less money.
Okay, we have received a lot of shit for this, which is understandable, because very many people do not understand the backgrounds and realities.
Then you'll get out.
Jack is a person who money doesn't interest. I'm also no one, whether you believe me or not, who pushes his boys in money situations. They should be fundamentally happy and pursue a concrete goal. Jack's is clearly the NBA. Playing in college was a necessary alternative plan to not stand without idea this summer.
How?
Our favorite alternative to the NBA would have been to stay with Alba from the outset. But that has not allowed Jack's long-term contract at Mega Belgrade. Or, as now, we would have only come out of it for a lot of money.
Money doesn't matter much to colleges. Jack could have changed effortlessly. Why ultimately not?
He has watched a lot of games and ultimately just didn't see himself there. He's not the only European to come back either. And as I said, it was never about money. That comes when you make the right decisions, sooner or later anyway. Besides, it wouldn't have been so much at Gonzaga that it would have secured Jack's existence for ten generations.
What did your plan look like after the end of the season?
He has already taken concrete forms during the season, because there are certain deadlines to tender in or out. But the goal was always the NBA, and then to get the second contract there, which not many reach to establish themselves. The feedback we received from the teams was that Jack could be drafted at the end of the first round. That’s why we canceled Gonzaga and actually wanted to play with interested franchises. That was not possible because Alba was still playing until two days before the draft.
How far does the draft have, Jack turned 39 in the second round. Position chosen by the Knicks, your considerations changed?
Again, many things happen very quickly, which outsiders cannot perceive. Even for those involved, the flow of information is manageable. The head scout can tell you something other than the athletic director, and then there's a change of decision two minutes before the pick. With Jack, this was also the case several times without going into detail. The Knicks, however, did not trade down three times for no reason to get him. It was clear to them that he is far too talented for this position. They said we'd just get it now. In communication, however, it was directly clear that it could be difficult for cadre and financial reasons. It's not a question of Jack's talent.
What feedback did the Summer League bring?
High people in the front office were very surprised. I've been told several times that Jack is significantly better than they thought. His second game in particular was incredibly strong. Especially considering that he only had an individual training before, in which you went through the plays with him. He recorded everything else by watching. I don't want to get too close to anyone, but Jack has done a lot better than established players.
Were there other options besides Alba after it was clear that Jack won't stay with the Knicks?
Several from the EuroLeague. I don't name teams, but with a player from Jack's level you can imagine which teams have come forward. But I rejected all offers very quickly, we didn't even get to the details of how much Jack can earn there. For us, Alba was always the first point of contact.
Why this?
We wanted to go to a place we know, where everything is native and, above all, where the game plan allows you to work on the individual deficits. That's not possible with an 80-game-plus game plan in the EuroLeague.
Would a return to Mega Belgrade, where your player was contractually bound, had been conceivable?
In short: absolutely not. It’s no secret that the club is agency-run – by the agency where Jack and I have a common past. Jack wanted to get away from this agency, I left this agency too. Accordingly, there was no such option for us. Then Jack wouldn't have played basketball for a year, and it's certainly understandable that you can't ask that from any 20-year-old in the world.
Was the move to Mega a mistake in retrospect two years ago?
We had hoped for it very differently. The expectation was that Jack would be the number-one project there. The reality was different. That's the business model of this agency, that's fine. We don't look back that much. If anything, it all happens for a reason. The year, all alone in Belgrade, has helped Jack grow mentally.
Jack Kayil writes autographs.
For the German national team, Jack Kayil played six international matches.© Imago | Tilo Wiedensohler
How far did Alba have to go to get rid of him from there?
Without going into numbers: Alba has paid a very, very, very high amount. It's like talking about a 50-million-euro transfer in football. For 95 percent of European clubs, this is almost impossible. Therefore, I would like to emphasize publicly that Alba in the form of Marco Baldi and Himar Ojeda, but also the main shareholder Axel Schweitzer, have set an incredible amount in motion to put this package together. This is far from self-evident, and I take myself so cheekily to speak in the name of the Kayil family, that we are all very, very grateful for this special appreciation, which is no longer the case in today’s business-driven sport.
What is the Berlin plan with Jack?
There is already a close collaboration with the Knicks to support Jack on the way to the NBA. New York will also send people over during the season. We're working on Jack's deficits that he's getting stronger physically and generally more stable. There are, of course, plenty of imbalances, but if all goes normally, Jack is scheduled to move firmly to the Knicks next summer.
Why a five-year contract with Alba?
Because of the high transfer and the salary, you also have to install a hedging, there must be a justification for the donors. In the worst case, Jack is simply a five-year player at Alba Berlin. But there are clear NBA outs, although that doesn't make for a profitable business for Alba. And something else about all the people who think the return to Berlin is a step backwards.
Just too.
We are talking here about the reigning German champion, in whom Jack had a supporting role, who was also very competitive in the Champions League. Does the EuroLeague have a higher level? Sure, but a sensible career planning doesn't envisage it going to a higher level every year, that you make more money every season. It's about how I get to this high level in the long term. Alba is the optimal solution for that.
How do you see the future of your client?
Such projections are very difficult because you have no influence on many things. Jack brings loyalty and intelligence, he is a great person, has the right work attitude. These are very good basics to pursue the highest level of work, regardless of the work. Opportunities arise, you have to use them. I believe he will prevail in the NBA for the long term. It is the task of his environment to support him to the maximum. At the same time, his loyalty to the national team will never be in question.
