Update On Knicks Plans For Rookie Draft Pick

Signing Diawara to his rookie deal would be their final i to dot (or, t to cross).

“As things currently stand, the Knicks have enough room under the second apron to keep a veteran free agent like Shamet, Brogdon, or Garrison Matthews and to sign a rookie to a minimum deal,” Begley reports (h/t SNY_Knicks on X).

“The rookie needs to have been drafted by the Knicks. So the plan heading into camp is for New York to sign Mohamed Diawara to that rookie deal.”

Mohamed Diawara Scouting Report

As a late second-round pick who played overseas, Diawara isn’t really what people would call a known commodity. Furthermore, the 20-year-old didn’t really get significant playing time until 2024-25, his first season averaging 10+ minutes per game. Across 27 contests for Cholet, he averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.4 assists, and 0.6 steals in 19.6 minutes per game, shooting 38.3 percent from the field and 31.0 percent from 3.

At this point in his basketball journey, he’s far more of an NBA body than an NBA player. To that point, he not only has a 6-foot-9 frame but a 7-foot-4 wingspan and 9-foot-2 standing reach. With his burst and agility, he figures to be a potential weapon at the defensive end.

However, though his jumper needs refinement, Diawara’s footwork and shooting mechanics are generally sound. His feet and shoulders are squared. He doesn’t waste movement. He shoots confidently. Furthermore, though he needs to become a better ball-handler, he has intriguing scoring instincts.

At minimum, the Frenchman figures to be a weapon in transition and off-ball. His defensive potential can’t be brushed aside either. Nevertheless, there’s some distance between where he is right now and where he needs to be.