When the Knicks used the 51st pick in the second round of the 2025 NBA draft to select Mohamed Diawara, many assumed that he would be a draft-and-stash prospect that would spend the 2025-26 season developing further in Europe. However, after a strong showing in Summer League play, Diawara announced he would be staying in the United States. Now, he may be on the verge of earning himself a two-way deal.
SNY's Ian Begley, answering fans' questions in a mailbag article, said he believed Diawara had done enough to earn a two-way deal. It would be an excellent development for Diawara, after his former team, Cholet Basket, announced that he planned to remain in the United States to pursue a career with the Knicks.
Diawara was a bright spot in Summer League
Summer League as a whole was disappointing for the Knicks. The team won just one game, going 1-4, and got outscored by an average of 7.8 points over the five games. On top of that, many of their second-year players looked underwhelming, with many turning the ball over too much or struggling to efficiently score.
That said, Diawara turned heads when given the opportunity, even drawing comparisons to Knicks' star OG Anunoby.
Over the five games, Diawara averaged seven points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists, while shooting 40 percent from the floor. He also added 1.3 steals per game on the defensive end. He was exceptionally efficient when driving the ball, albeit in a small sample size, generating 1.42 points per direct drive.
A two-way deal could propel Diawara's development
If the Knicks do reward Diawara with a two-way deal, it would be a great opportunity for him to gain experience about the inner workings of the NBA and what it takes to be a professional.
At the same time, he would get valuable playing experience with the Knicks' G-League affiliate. For all the upside that Diawara showed, he has plenty of developing to do before he is ready to contribute in meaningful minutes at the NBA level.
Right now, Diawara relies mainly on his energy and effort to make plays on the defensive end. While that isn't necessarily a bad thing, playing hard is much different than understanding and executing defensive schemes.
On the offensive end, Diawara will need to develop some semblance of a jump shot if he wants to stick around at the pro level. In the Summer League, he shot just 15.4 percent from three.