The New York Knicks were coming off a historic season, but entered the 2025 NBA Draft with the need to add depth at point guard and center. Instead, they chose to go with a highly raw French forward, Mohamed Diawara, and as a result, received the lowest grade of the draft from PFSN.
Is Mohamed Diawara A Good Selection For the New York Knicks?
The Knicks originally held the 50th overall pick but traded it to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for No. 51 and Serbian forward Luka Mitrović. They then used the 51st pick to select Diawara, a move that did little to address their immediate needs.
In win-now mode, New York needed a player ready to contribute off the bench. Instead, they selected an extremely raw prospect who averaged just 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 27 games with Cholet Basket in France’s LNB Pro A.
PFSN analyst Cam Mellor gave the pick a D+, tying it for the lowest grade in the draft, and cited the high risk tied to Diawara’s limited production and readiness.
“He’s the kind of role-embracing, switchable wing NBA teams covet, one who doesn’t need the ball but flashes enough handle and vision to hint at more down the line,” Mellor wrote. “But Diawara isn’t going to light up a scoreboard yet. His offensive game is still raw. The shooting hasn’t progressed: 24-of-75 from three this past season in France’s Pro A, nearly identical to his numbers in Pro B the year before.
Knicks 51st pick 6’8″ wing Mohamed Diawara on his game:
“My shooting, my defense, the way I can play many positions…I feel like I’m ready
“I spoke with…Pacome Dadiet…that’s my friend
“Weaknesses? More regular on my 3, working on it
“I love Jaden McDaniels & Pascal Siakam” pic.twitter.com/dy9EXbQ01f
— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 27, 2025
“His free-throw percentage also dipped to 51.1%, which might level out around 60% unless he makes serious strides. He’s not a consistent threat with the ball in his hands and can sometimes bog down the offense trying to create, but that should clean up in a more defined NBA role.”
However, Diawara’s defensive versatility is something the Knicks could use. The scouts have been drawn to his defensive instincts, impressive wingspan, and ability to stretch the floor as a modern two-way wing.
KEEP READING: Los Angeles Lakers Receive Strong Grade For 2025 NBA Draft After Trading Up For ‘Explosive’ Forward
“Defensively, he’s disruptive and switch-capable, more of a deterrent than a playmaker at this stage, logging just four blocks in over 580 minutes this season,” Mellor added. “He’ll need to add strength to hold his own in the post and still struggles a bit with lateral quickness when defending quicker guards.”
Diawara needs to improve a lot, but if his “jumper ever clicks and he packs on some muscle,” he could very well develop into a capable role player.
The 20-year-old also has big-game experience as a starter for both Cholet and France’s U20 gold medal team, and that should help the Knicks as they look to snap their NBA Finals drought next season.
