Nickeil Alexander-Walker

About

Nickeil Alexander-Walker ( nih-KEEL; born September 2, 1998) is a Canadian professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Virginia Tech Hokies. A versatile guard, Alexander-Walker was selected 17th overall by the Brooklyn Nets in the 2019 NBA draft but was traded shortly afterward to the New Orleans Pelicans. He has also played for the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves before joining the Hawks. In 2026, Alexander-Walker became the first Canadian to win the NBA Most Improved Player award.

A native of Toronto, Ontario, Alexander-Walker played basketball at Vaughan Secondary School, St. Louis Christian Academy, and Hamilton Heights Christian Academy. While at Hamilton Heights, he was teammates with his cousin, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and they shared a room at their coach’s house during that time. According to Scout.com, he was ranked as the no. 74 prospect in the class of 2017.

Alexander-Walker committed to Virginia Tech in May 2016, over offers from USC and Maryland. As a freshman for the Hokies, Alexander-Walker averaged 10.7 points and 3.8 rebounds…