Selected 51st overall in the 2025 NBA Draft, Mohamed Diawara had a larger role than expected for the Knicks during his rookie season. While he didn’t have a spot in the rotation during the playoffs, the 21-year-old filled in admirably when New York was shorthanded during the regular season.
In July’s summer league, though, Diawara did not appear in the final three games. He had an injury to his left index finger, but it wasn’t immediately clear exactly what it was.
Knicks Nation France recently interviewed Diawara. While the interview is in French, English subtitles are provided. When asked about his finger, Diawara said:
“I’m in good shape. My finger is fine, and the operation went well. I’m back on the court and excited to start the season.”
🇺🇸 🎤 INTERVIEW MOH DIAWARA 🎤 🇺🇸
— Knicks Nation France (@KnicksNationFr) August 1, 2026
For our American friends, we’re posting the video with English subtitles so you can enjoy the interview.
Enjoy !
🧡💙 Let’s go Knicks 🧡💙@NBA_NewYork @sny_knicks @KnicksNation @FiresideKnicks @KnicksFanTv @IanBegley @TommyBeer… pic.twitter.com/nL3mDJqxcF
This is good news, as there hasn’t been much of an update or any type of timetable on Diawara since the Summer League concluded.
Diawara should be good to go for training camp
During the interview, it can be seen that Diawara’s left index finger is taped up. He provided news that Knicks fans were unaware of, as there had never been an announcement that he would need an operation on the finger.
Nonetheless, the fact that Diawara is back on the court makes it clear that his finger shouldn’t keep him from being ready for the start of training camp in September. There’s a chance Diawara could find himself in the regular rotation, and missing any time would make that less likely for the 6-foot-9 forward.
In the two summer league games he played, Diawara was relatively disappointing. He made just one of his 14 field-goal attempts and committed four turnovers while dishing out just one assist. The Knicks as a whole did not look good in summer league, playing without a true lead guard, so fans probably shouldn’t read too much into his poor performances.
During his first NBA regular season, Diawara connected on 36.9% of his 3-point attempts. Mike Brown even felt comfortable enough inserting him into the starting lineup seven different times. While there’s still work to be done for him on the defensive end, his 7-foot-4 wingspan can create problems for perimeter players.
The Knicks rewarded Diawara with a four-year deal before free agency began. For a team so close to the second apron, it would be wonderful to see him make an impact at a relatively low salary. It’s great news that he should be full steam ahead once training camp begins.
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