Not much was expected of the New York Knicks coming into the 2025 NBA Draft. However, they have managed to disappoint on even the lowest of expectations.
The Knicks did not have a pick in the first round and spent their lone pick in the second on Cholet's Mohamed Diawara at No. 51 overall. They originally had pick No. 50, but moved back one spot in a last-minute trade with the Clippers.
ESPN's Jonathan Givony is many fans' go-to analyst for every draft pick. While Givony typically has a blurb ready for each selection, he didn't provide any analysis on Diawara. That sends an uninspiring message about the Knicks' decision.
The New York Knicks have selected Cholet's Mohamed Diawara with the No. 51 pick.
— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) June 27, 2025
Knicks' Mohamed Diawara pick in the second round is not receiving strong reviews
It probably isn't a good sign when one of the NBA's most respected draft guru's has nothing to say about your team's pick. Granted, the second round moves a lot faster than the first, but again, Givony took the time to provide some analysis on every pick. For whatever reason, Diawara didn't make the cut.
Diawara was No. 81 on Givony's big board, while senior writer Sam Vecenie of The Athletic had the Frenchman at No. 79. Those samples suggest the Knicks selected a player that many analysts expected to go undrafted.
There is not much analysis of Diawara available, but he has a 7-4 wingspan and developed a reputation overseas for playing strong defense. He was often tasked with guarding the opposing team's lead ball handler, per NBADraft.net.
Ian Begley of SNY reported that Diawara will play in the Summer League with the Knicks, though it remains unclear if he will be a draft-and-stash. Begley added that Diawara is good friends with New York's 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet, who appeared in 18 games as a rookie.
It is easy to criticize Leon Rose for this pick, but given the Knicks are chasing a championship, it would have been a surprise if they used their second-round pick to sign a player to the roster.
If anything, the Diawara pick confirms the front office is going to add veterans to round out the rest of the roster.
That's a silver lining worth holding on to, right?