What Does Mo Diawara Bring To New York and What Is The Next For The Knicks

2025 NBA second-round pick Mohammed Diawara is expected to sign with the New York Knicks in the coming days, per French club Cholet Baskets.

“Arrived from Paris in the summer of 2024 and recently a gold medalist at the U20 Euro with the French National Team, Mohamed Diawara had a clear goal: to join the NBA,” the club tweeted. It’s now a done deal: Mo was selected as the 51st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks and has decided to continue his journey in the United States! Throughout the season, Mo brought his energy and defensive impact to the team, both in Betclic Elite and the FIBA Europe Cup.”

What Does Mo Diawara Bring To New York, and What Is Next For The Knicks

Diawara was selected with the No. 51 in this past June’s draft by the Los Angeles Clippers. But one day after choosing the 6-9 wing, the Clippers shipped his rights and those of 2015 second-rounder Luka Mitrovic to New York for Kobe Sanders. Sanders was selected one spot ahead of Diawara.

Who Is Mo Diawara?

Diawara was born in Paris on April 29, 2025. Diawara’s basketball playing days began with the Paris club La Domremy Basket 13. He later played for the youth team of Saint-Charles Basket in Charenton-le-Pont before moving on to the French Academy at INSEP.

Diawara began his professional career with Paris Basketball in the summer of 2021, making his first appearances in the French first division during the 2021–22 season. In the summer of 2022, he was named the best player at the Basketball Without Borders talent scouting event. Additionally, he earned two medals while playing for France, winning bronze at the 2022 U17 FIBA World Cup and gold at the 2024 U20 FIBA EuroBasket.

After spending limited time in France’s top league with Paris Basketball, Diawara was loaned to second-division club Politiers Basket 86. The 20-year-old returned to the Jeep League in 2024-25 with Cholet Baskets, where he showed slight improvement from the previous campaign.

Areas of Improvement

Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

In a year, Diawara improved his efficiency and ball-handling. However, he still has a lot to work on, particularly his shooting from beyond the arc and at the charity stripe. He averaged 6.1 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 1.3 assists over 49 games across all competition for Cholet. He also compiled shooting splits of 43.9/28.2/55.7.

Diawara is seen to have a lot of potential as he embarks on his NBA journey. Particularly on the defensive end due to his length and athleticism. He also has a high motor and loves to hit the offensive glass. He has drawn comparisons to OG Anunoby, Jonathan Kuminga, Dorian Finney-Smith, and Bilal Coulibaly.

While Diawara struggled shooting the ball this summer for the Knicks, he did show flashes of his potential. In four 2025 Vegas Summer League contests, Diawara averaged 7.0 points, 5,2 boards, 1.8 assists, and 1.2 steals. He connected on just 12 of 30 shots from the field (40%), including 2 of 13 from deep (15.4%), and was 2 of 6 from the charity stripe.

What Is Next For The Knicks?

It is unclear whether Diawara will receive a standard contract or a two-way deal. Either way, Diawara will spend most, if not all, of next season in the G League with the Westchester Knicks to continue his development.

New York solidified its second unit with the additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabulese this summer. The Knicks have 12 players on standard deals with a salary cap hit of $204.1 million. However, Ariel Hukporti’s ($1.95 million) contract doesn’t guarantee until January 10, so they do have some flexibility.

The Knicks are hard-capped at the second apron, which they are currently just $3.717 million below. They must add two players to their 15-man roster before the start of the 2025-26 campaign. Unless they make a salary-cutting trade, they appear to have room to sign one player for the veteran minimum, meaning Diawara could get the team’s 14th slot.

Otherwise, Diawara will ink a two-way deal, limiting him to 50 games on the Knicks’ active roster. The Knicks don’t have a player signed to a minor league deal, though Kevin McCullar Jr. has been tendered a qualifying offer to return to the team in that capacity.

Photo Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports

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