THE NEW York Knicks did not enter the 2025 NBA Draft with many selections to their name, having traded away their first rounder in previous trades in order to build such a star-studded roster, but still left having added a power forward to their roster.

The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals throughout the 2025 NBA Playoffs, but fell short against a surging Indiana Pacers team. However, Now York is still right in the championship window with one of the best rosters in the competition, but building this did come at the cost of a high draft pick in the 2025 intake.

Despite being shorthanded and trading down a spot, the Knicks did manage to add to their frontcourt with an overseas prospect, who might need developing but could be an impressive value selection in the future.

New York Knicks

Drafted Players

Mohamed Diawara (pick 51)

For the second year in a row, the Knicks selected a French prospect with their first selection at the NBA Draft, with Diawara joining the team late in the second round in 2025, and bringing an impressive resume to the table.

A six-foot-nine power forward, Diawara has shown potential as an impactful defender, having displayed this on the big stage with France in its most recent EuroBasket campaign, where he won a gold medal with the team.

He uses his seven-foot-four wingspan to poke the ball free, protect the paint and disrupt the vision of the ball-handler at a consistent rate, and thrives on being able to make big plays on the defensive end, a trait the Knicks will be hoping translates to the top level.

Diawara also has professional experience under his belt, having played for multiple teams in France, although he could be considered to be a draft-and-stash option, given there is still plenty of development ahead before he sees NBA minutes.

He has impressive ball-handling skills for his size, able to hold his own when dribbling the ball and even showing promise with his playmaking ability. Diawara can make the right passes in transition and is versatile enough to create for others.

Offensively, he does his best work when attacking the basket, able to take advantage of the opposition overcommitting on the closeout and bursting past to score inside. He also has plenty of upside as a shooter, having made 32 per cent of his triples with a high-arcing release, and could consistently become a perimeter threat in the future.

Although he may not be ready just yet for NBA minutes just yet and may need to develop overseas initially, he could be a promising investment for the Knicks when their roster enters the next phase, and by the time there is a spot available for him in the lineup, Diawara could be a serious two-way threat.