The New York Knicks have unsuccessfully attempted to sign Karl-Anthony Towns to a four-year, $200 million contract extension. Towns insists that he wants to land on a figure that benefits both the player and the team, but plainly stated that, "none of those things are close to happening," after the Knicks' latest offer.
What the Towns negotiations have proven, above all else, is that the Knicks' depth crisis is about to be even more difficult to resolve—and that's put Mohamed Diawara squarely under the spotlight.
New York is already paying three players other than Towns at least $36 million per season: OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson, and Mikal Bridges. Anunoby and Brunson will be eligible for extensions next year, and Bridges is signed through 2030, with a $41,517,856 player option for the 2029-30 campaign.
Furthermore, the Knicks have a $22,375,280 team option for starter Josh Hart in 2027-28 and all four of Anunoby, Brunson, Bridges, and Hart will be 30 or older at this time next year.
On top of those existing and future lucrative commitments, the Knicks are seemingly needing to pay Towns, who will turn 31 in November, upward of $50 million per season. That leaves a painfully limited amount of room to build out the depth chart with quality reserves—and sixth man Miles McBride has an expiring contract that could force him off the roster next summer.
Even with Jose Alvarado and Landry Shamet signed to team-friendly deals, the Knicks' lack of depth along the wings will be even more difficult to resolve if Towns signs an extension. That makes Diawara a can't-miss developmental project.
Knicks have no option but to hope Mohamed Diawara improves
Diawara, 21, has become a beacon of hope for a New York side that hasn't exactly struck gold with its draft picks during the Brunson era. At a mere 9.2 minutes per game, he was still second in playing time among Knicks players who are 25 or younger. Only Tyler Kolek played more.
Considering the 6'2" Kolek is facing significant question marks about his own fit in the Knicks' guard-heavy rotation, the 6'9" Diawara is all the more important.
Thankfully, there were flashes of brilliance in 2025-26. That includes the three games during which Diawara buried four three-point field goals and the eight times he scored in double figures, during which he unexpectedly looked the part of a force from distance.
The sample size of Diawara even playing 15 minutes in a game is limited to 18 appearances, however, which makes the expectation of progress more of a leap of faith than a logical conclusion.
Unfortunately, the pressure is already on. The Knicks signed Diawara to a four-year contract and are going to need him to make the leap to nightly rotational asset sooner than later. If he doesn't, then their already limited options will be even more difficult to pull ideal support from.
With Towns now pushing for more than $50 million per season just one year before Anunoby and Brunson become extension-eliglble, Diawara needs to prove the Knicks' investment was sound.
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