A reaction of Ni(Allyl) ₂ with bis(2,6-diisopropylphenyl) diazabutadiene gave an imino amide allyl nickel(II) complex (I). Complicated rearrangements of the imino amide ligand in the coordination sphere of complex I spontaneously yielded a paramagnetic Ni(I) π-allyl complex as a final reaction product. The nickel complexes produced in this system were studied by EPR, IR, and 2D NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry. Structure I was examined by X-ray diffraction.