Why Mohamed Diawara could be the Knicks’ X-factor next season

The Knicks front office has been busy retaining its championship mettle this offseason.

Within the last week, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado returned on team-friendly deals, and New York picked up Andre Drummond to replace the Boston-bound Mitchell Robinson.

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But the move that may outshine them all in the short and long term was re-signing Mohamed Diawara to a four-year, $11.2 million deal. The 21-year-old forward averaged just 3.6 points in his rookie season, but his on-court flashes and physical gifts make him a nuclear lottery ticket for the Knicks.

As New York and many other contenders dealt with this offseason, the second apron restrictions are making it tougher to maintain cost-controlled but still competitive teams. The Thunder traded two of their key young guards ahead of their extensions, the Celtics downgraded from Jaylen Brown, and the Knicks couldn’t shell out to keep Robinson.

Diawara’s contract runs under $3 million a year, a rounding error to the salary cap. If he becomes a rotation player, or something more, the Knicks would get a near-term contributor to their championship core and foundational piece of the next one at a fraction of the cost.

Why the Knicks are betting on Diawara’s upside

Diawara’s build is outrageous: 6’9” with a 7’4” wingspan, 225 pounds, and the baseline skills to boot.

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He’s got some handles and a knack for finding the open man, even getting some pick-and-roll reps in real minutes this season. That kind of self-advantage creation from a player his size is rare, and he’s used it to get two feet in the paint, finishing with his length or finding others.

Diawara showed some nifty moves in his limited minutes, spin dribbles and tough angles finishes. If there’s a high-scoring upside here, we’re seeing the beginnings of it already.

The big surprise was how he shot the lights out in his rookie season. Through the month of February, he shot 41.4 percent from deep, going 10-18 in one six-game stretch.

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He finished the season with a 36.9 percent clip on only 130 attempts, struggling with the higher volumes he was…

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Publish date : 2026-07-11 14:00:00

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