After winning the NBA Finals for the first time in 53 years, the New York Knicks are already busy making moves for next season. On Monday, the club announced that it is retaining one of its restricted free agents for the 2026-27 season and beyond.
Reports indicate that the Knicks are giving Mohamed Diawara a multi-year contract worth over $10 million, according to ESPN's Shams Charania. The 21-year-old forward will remain in New York as he further develops his game.
“Restricted free agent Mohamed Diawara plans to return to the Knicks on a multiyear, $10+ million deal, per Shams Charania,” said ClutchPoints NBA.
Diawara was a second-round pick by the Knicks in the 2025 NBA Draft. The French native appeared in 69 games (seven starts) in his first season, serving as a role player near the end of the bench. In those contests, Mohamed Diawara averaged 3.6 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 36.9% from beyond the three-point line.
After winning a championship for the first time in 53 years, the Knicks will have plenty of decisions to make to address the roster moving forward. Retaining Diawara gives the front office some options on how to move forward in the 2026 NBA Draft and free agency.
The franchise owns three total picks in the draft this year, with one in the first round (No. 24) and the other two in the second round (No. 31 and No. 55). It's not entirely clear what the front office plans to do with those selections, but the club will have some options available on the table.
