New York Knicks Rookie Watch - Mohamed Diawara

If something seemed off about the 2025 NBA Draft, especially in the second round, it was due to the New York Knicks being punished for tampering with Jalen Brunson before his official free agency in 2022. As a result, the league took away the team’s second-round draft pick. Add in the fact that the team did not have its own first-round pick after trading it as part of the 2024 Mikal Bridges deal, and the Knicks were left with just the 50th pick acquired from OKC in a 2024 trade.

On draft night, the Knicks selected Kobe Sanders, a senior combo guard/forward from Nevada, before moving him to the L.A. Clippers for the 51st pick, which ended up being Mohamed Diawara, a project player from France.

When the Knicks selected Diawara late in the second round, they weren’t thinking about adding the 20-year-old French forward to their roster this season or possibly even next. With the Eastern Conference route to the playoffs relatively wide open, thanks to untimely season-ending injuries and roster moves by some of the favored teams, the Knicks became one of the favorites to advance to the 2026 NBA Finals.

For a team on the verge of returning to the championship round for the first time since Patrick Ewing wore the white, orange, and blue, it’s highly unlikely they have any use for a rookie on their roster other than as a practice player. Originally viewed as a “draft-and-stash” project, Diawara won’t see any court time at Madison Square Garden anytime soon despite earning an Exhibit 10 contract. On a veteran-heavy roster built for a deep playoff run, there is no room or time for a raw second-round pick to learn on the job, which means the Knicks will frequently send the 6’9” forward to Westchester for some G League action.

Averaging 6.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in 49 games with Cholet Basket in France’s LNB Pro A league, Diawara had a decent showing for the Knicks during Summer League, averaging 7 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 40% over the course of four games. However, those glimpses of potential do not appear to translate into NBA readiness anytime soon.

The reality is that Diawara’s impact on this season's Knicks roster will be less than minimal. His true contribution will come on the practice court or with their development team, with the hopes that at some point in the future, he could be worthy of a true roster spot.