Mohamed Diawara Rumors | Hoops Rumors

Knicks Waive Garrison Mathews, Alex Len, Matt Ryan

October 18th, 2025 at 4:30pm CST by Arthur Hill

As expected, veteran guard Garrison Mathews was cut by the Knicks, the team announced (via Twitter). New York has also waived Alex Len and Matt Ryan.

Mathews signed a non-guaranteed contract last month, as did Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, with the understanding that the team was only able to keep one of them due to financial limitations. Brogdon announced his retirement on Wednesday, so Shamet appears to have earned the roster spot.

A report on Friday stated that Mathews has been impressive since training camp opened, but the Knicks didn’t have the ability to fit two veteran salaries on their roster without trading someone away. Shamet played for New York last season and was considered the front-runner to make the team.

The report also states that Mathews is likely to draw interest from teams that need outside shooting help now that he’s on waivers. He has been with three teams in his six NBA seasons and shot 39% from three-point range with Atlanta last season.

Len and Ryan both signed with the Knicks in mid-September, with Len getting an Exhibit 9 contract and Ryan receiving an Exhibit 10 deal. Both were considered long shots to make the team, but Ryan may wind up with New York’s G League affiliate.

It looks like the last available roster spot will go to rookie small forward Mohamed Diawara, who was selected with the 51st pick in this year’s draft. That had been expected due to the Knicks’ cap limitations — Diawara’s rookie minimum salary will allow the team to remain below their hard cap.

With Shamet and Diawara filling the 13th and 14th spots on New York’s roster, the team will have to wait until early April to add a 15th man, unless it makes a cost-cutting trade before then.

Knicks Confirm Several Signings, Plan To Add Alex Len

September 16th, 2025 at 12:32pm CST by Luke Adams

Having carried just 12 players on their roster since July, the Knicks began officially filling out their 21-man preseason squad on Tuesday.

After signing Dink Pate and Bryson Warren to Exhibit 10 contracts, the team officially announced five more previously reported deals, confirming that Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet have signed their Exhibit 9 contracts (Twitter links), while Mohamed Diawara, Garrison Mathews, Tosan Evbuomwan have finalized Exhibit 10 agreements (all Twitter links).

Reports late last week indicated that Mathews, Shamet, and Brogdon were signing non-guaranteed contracts with the Knicks. Evbuomwan’s deal was reported on Monday, while James L. Edwards III of The Athletic (Twitter link) stated earlier today that Diawara would be getting an Exhibit 10 contract.

The Knicks aren’t done making roster additions. According to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link), the team has also reached a training camp agreement with veteran center Alex Len, who was working out for New York this week.

The fifth overall pick in the 2013 draft, Len has been in the NBA for 12 seasons, primarily as a backup big man. In 2024/25, he appeared in 46 total games for the Kings and Lakers and played a very modest role, averaging just 1.6 points and 2.1 rebounds in 8.3 minutes per night.

There has been no formal announcement yet regarding Len or veteran wing Matt Ryan, who is expected to re-sign with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal. The club also has a two-way qualifying offer on the table for Kevin McCullar Jr.

With 19 players now officially under contract, there’s not enough room for New York to sign Len, Ryan, and McCullar without making a cut, but more shuffling of players on and off the roster figures to occur in the coming days and weeks.

Pate and Warren will probably be the first players waived and appear likely to end up with the Westchester Knicks in the G League. Brogdon, Shamet, and Mathews are expected to be competing for a regular season roster spot — it’s possible Ryan and Len could be involved in that competition too, though they look like longer shots to make the team.

Diawara has an inside track for a standard roster spot because of the Knicks’ hard-cap situation, which requires them to carry a drafted rookie on a minimum-salary contract if they don’t shed salary in a trade. Evbuomwan, meanwhile, is a candidate to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal.

Knicks Rookie Diawara Expected To Sign Standard Deal?

September 13th, 2025 at 11:03am CST by Rory Maher

Although the Knicks are reportedly considering a cost-cutting trade in order to keep two of Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews, Ian Begley of SNY.tv doesn’t expect a move to occur before training camp (Twitter link via Knicks Videos).

Begley also doesn’t think Miles McBride will be the player traded if New York does make a deal. The backup guard will earn $4.33MM in 2025/26, followed by $3.96MM in ’26/27.

“I’d be surprised if the Knicks made a move like that ahead of training camp,” Begley said. “I’d assume that they let things play out in training camp/preseason before making decisions on final roster spots. It’s also worth pointing out that they have always held McBride in high regard and haven’t been receptive to any past trades involving the now 25-year-old.”

The Knicks have agreed to sign Brogdon, Shamet and Mathews to non-guaranteed contracts but currently only have enough cap flexibility below the second tax apron to keep one of the three on their regular season roster. That player would fill their 13th standard roster spot, while the 14th needs to be a rookie whose draft rights are controlled by New York.

According to Begley, the tentative plan entering camp is for the Knicks to sign Mohamed Diawara to that 14th spot. The 20-year-old, who played for the Knicks in Summer League and spent last season with Cholet Basket in France’s top basketball league, was selected No. 51 overall in the 2025 draft.

Jake Fischer reported yesterday for The Stein Line that New York considered signing free agent center Thomas Bryant before deciding to prioritize backcourt and wing depth. According to Begley’s sources, Bryant “really impressed” the Knicks during recent open gym workouts in New York.

Four 2025 NBA Draft Picks Remain Unsigned

August 28th, 2025 at 7:16pm CST by Luke Adams

As our tracker shows, 55 of the 59 players selected in June’s 2025 draft have either signed their first NBA contracts or are confirmed to be playing overseas for the upcoming season. John Tonje (Jazz) and Amari Williams (Celtics) recently became the latest 2025 draftees to sign with their respective teams, having finalized two-way deals.

That leaves four players – all second-round picks – who remain unsigned. Those players are as follows:

Mohamed Diawara (Knicks)
Alex Toohey (Warriors)
Will Richard (Warriors)
Jahmai Mashack (Grizzlies)

NBA insider Jake Fischer provided an update on Richard today, writing that the former Florida wing is expected to sign with Golden State once Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency is resolved. Fischer didn’t say whether Richard would be signing a standard contract or a two-way deal, but his wording suggested the former Florida guard is a candidate for a 15-man roster spot.

Signing Richard to a contract that begins at the rookie minimum could help the Warriors manage their cap/tax/apron situation, since he’d only count for about $1.27MM (compared to roughly $2.3MM for a veteran minimum deal).

Fischer didn’t mention Toohey, who was selected four picks ahead of Richard. That doesn’t necessarily mean Toohey isn’t a candidate for a 15-man roster spot — in certain hard-cap scenarios, it could make sense for the Warriors to carry two rookie-minimum players. But it might be a signal that Richard is the better bet for a standard deal, while Toohey could end up on a two-way contract or as a draft-and-stash prospect.

Diawara is in a similar boat to Richard and Toohey, seemingly stuck in limbo while the Knicks mull their options with their remaining roster spots. It looks like the Knicks will have to carry at least one draft-rights player on a rookie minimum contract in order to navigate their own hard cap, and Diawara is one of two leading candidates to fill that spot — 2023 second-rounder James Nnaji is the other.

If Nnaji signs a standard contract or if the Knicks find a way to create enough cap flexibility to fill out their roster with veteran minimum signings, Diawara is probably ticketed for a two-way deal. As a European-born player who was playing overseas prior to be drafted, the 20-year-old forward would typically be a strong draft-and-stash candidate, but his French team, Cholet Basket, announced last month that Diawara was headed to the NBA.

That leaves Mashack, whose next step remains unclear. It’s not uncommon for one or two players selected near the end of an NBA draft to end up as domestic draft-and-stash prospects, signing directly with their teams’ G League affiliates. But Mashack probably deserves better than that after a strong five-game Summer League showing in which he filled up the box score by averaging 9.0 points, 4.4 assists, 4.0 rebounds, 2.0 steals, and 1.2 blocks in 23.7 minutes per contest while making 41.7% of his three-point attempts.

The Grizzlies have a two-way contract slot open alongside PJ Hall and Javon Small, so signing Mashack to fill that opening would make the most sense to me — if that’s the plan, I’m not sure why it hasn’t happened yet.

Checking In On Unsigned 2025 NBA Draft Picks

August 7th, 2025 at 7:49am CST by Luke Adams

As our tracker shows, 51 of the 59 players selected in the 2025 draft in June have signed their first NBA contracts. That group includes all 30 first-round picks getting rookie scale contracts, 11 second-round picks signing standard contracts, and 10 more second-rounders receiving two-way deals.

On top of those 51 players, two more will reportedly remain overseas for the 2025/26 season, with Bucks second-rounder Bogoljub Markovic rejoining Mega Basket in Serbia and Cavaliers second-rounder Saliou Niang signing with Virtus Bologna in Italy.

That leaves just six players from the 2025 draft class whose ’25/26 plans remain up in the air. Those players are as follows:

Boston Celtics: Amari Williams
New York Knicks: Mohamed Diawara
Golden State Warriors: Alex Toohey
Utah Jazz: John Tonje
Golden State Warriors: Will Richard
Memphis Grizzlies: Jahmai Mashack

Let’s start with Williams, the only top-50 pick who doesn’t have a deal in place. Former ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony reported on draft night that the No. 46 overall pick would be signing a two-way contract with the Celtics, and that still looks like a possibility.

Boston doesn’t have a two-way opening, but Miles Norris is a carry-over from last season and it’s unclear whether the team has legitimate interest in retaining RJ Luis after acquiring him from Utah on Wednesday or if he was simply a placeholder to make the deal work. Either player could be waived to open up a spot for Williams.

As Wednesday’s Georges Niang deal showed, however, the Celtics continue to explore their options on the trade market and may make a real effort to duck below the luxury tax line. In that scenario, signing Williams to a standard contract that pays him the rookie minimum might make some sense, since it would allow the C’s to keep their costs as low as possible for their 14th man.

The Knicks have somewhat similar cap considerations to evaluate with Diawara. They’re currently carrying 12 players on standard contracts and they don’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to add two more players on veteran minimum deals. That means their 14th man figures to be a player on a rookie-minimum contract.

Diawara is a candidate to be that 14th man, but he’s not the only one — 2023 second-rounder James Nnaji is another possibility. If Diawara isn’t signed to a standard contract, he’ll likely end up on a two-way deal, given that the Knicks have three open slots and his former team in France announced last month that he was leaving for the NBA.

The Warriors have a pair of two-way openings that Toohey and Richard could end up filling, but they’ll probably keep their options open until Jonathan Kuminga‘s restricted free agency is resolved. Depending on what happens with Kuminga, Golden State may want to add either Toohey or Richard to its 15-man roster on a rookie minimum contract in order to maximize its cap flexibility below a hard cap or to avoid crossing over into first or second tax apron territory.

Before trading Luis to Boston on Wednesday, the Jazz just had one open two-way slot, with Tonje and two-way restricted free agent Oscar Tshiebwe both candidates to fill it. With Luis out of the picture, Utah could sign both players to two-way contracts without having to waive anyone, and it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s the plan.

As for the Grizzlies and Mashack, he looks like the most obvious candidate to fill Memphis’ lone two-way opening. But it’s worth noting that there’s often at least one player per draft class who ends up being a domestic draft-and-stash, spending his rookie season in the G League without signing an NBA or two-way contract. We’ll see if the Grizzlies want to try to go that route with Mashack or if he simply ends up on a two-way deal.

Knicks Prospect James Nnaji Parts Ways With Barcelona

August 2nd, 2025 at 9:07am CST by Luke Adams

Barcelona and center James Nnaji have opted out of a contract that was scheduled to run through the 2026/27 season, according to an announcement from the Spanish club. The team put out a statement thanking Nnaji for his contributions over the past five seasons and wishing him luck in the future.

Nnaji, who will turn 21 later this month, was the 31st overall pick in the 2023 draft. His draft rights were traded multiple times after he was officially selected by Detroit and are now held by the Knicks, who acquired them from Charlotte in last October’s three-team Karl-Anthony Towns blockbuster.

On loan from Barcelona to Spanish club Girona last season, Nnaji averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game across 14 Liga ACB appearances, making 75.7% of his field goal attempts but just 48.6% of his free throws.

While Nnaji’s exit from Barcelona doesn’t necessarily mean his next stop is the NBA, he confirmed earlier this summer that he intended to explore his NBA options, per Johnny Askounis of Eurohoops, and he was a member of the Knicks’ Summer League roster last month in Las Vegas, averaging 3.2 points and 3.6 rebounds in 12.9 minutes per game across five outings.

The Knicks’ current roster situation makes Nnaji a viable option. New York has 12 players on standard contracts and doesn’t have enough room below a second-apron hard cap to fit two minimum-salary veteran free agent signings. That means one of the team’s last two roster additions will likely have to be a players whose draft rights the club holds, since that player could get a rookie minimum salary without being affected by the tax variance that would apply to a rookie free agent.

Nnaji and 2025 second-rounder Mohamed Diawara – who also recently parted ways with his team in Europe – are among the players who fit the criteria and who look like candidates for the Knicks’ 14th roster spot. 2024 second-rounder Kevin McCullar Jr. gained a year of NBA experience in 2024/25 and would therefore no longer be eligible for a rookie minimum deal, so he wouldn’t fit below the second-apron hard cap if New York adds a 13th man on a veteran minimum contract.

Nnaji, Diawara, and McCullar are each eligible for a two-way contract. The Knicks have yet to sign any players to a two-way deal, so they have three open slots.

Atlantic Notes: Davison, Simmons, Shamet, Nets

July 31st, 2025 at 10:53pm CST by Earnest Marshall

The financial implications of waiving guard JD Davison are why the Celtics ultimately made the move, Brian Robb of MassLive writes. By letting go of Davison, the Celtics slid under the second apron by approximately $1.9MM with 14 players on the roster.

By moving under the apron, the Celtics can send out cash in a trade, can aggregate salaries and are beginning the path to opening their 2032 pick up for trade. As Robb explains, once Boston stays under the second apron for three straight seasons, they’ll unfreeze that pick.

Cutting Davison now as opposed to later allowed him to reach a two-way deal in Houston, where he’ll reunite with former Boston head coach Ime Udoka.

We have more notes from the Atlantic Division:

Ben Simmons and Landry Shamet continue to be candidates for a spot on the Knicks‘ 15-man roster, Ian Begley of SNY writes in a mailbag. As has been previously reported, the Knicks are among the teams awaiting Simmons’ decision, and Begley suggests that several staffers have interest in bringing back Shamet for a second season as well. As Begley writes, the Knicks have enough room under the second apron to bring in one veteran and one draft-rights player on a rookie deal. 2025 second-round Mohamed Diawara looks like a top candidate for that latter role, though that’s speculation.
In a subscriber-only story, Mike Vaccaro of the New York Post writes that by taking a discount on his extension, Mikal Bridges put himself in rare air and established himself as a core Knick for years to come.
The Nets announced their preseason schedule for the upcoming season, NetsDaily relayed. The only home game on the four-game schedule is a tilt against Hapoel Jerusalem.

Cholet Basket Announces Knicks’ Diawara Headed To NBA

July 25th, 2025 at 12:15pm CST by Luke Adams

Mohamed Diawara, the French forward selected last month with the 51st pick in the draft, is headed to the NBA, according to his former team. Cholet Basket published a social media post on Friday bidding farewell to Diawara and wishing him the best as he heads stateside (Twitter link).

While there are no details yet on what kind of contract Diawara will be signing, the update from Cholet Basket indicates that Diawara will be joining the Knicks, who acquired his NBA rights as part of a draft-night trade with the Clippers, rather than remaining overseas as a draft-and-stash player.

Most players drafted in Diawara’s range will sign two-way contracts, and that’s certainly an option for him. The Knicks don’t yet have any players locked into two-way deals and only have a single two-way qualifying offer on the table, for 2024 second-rounder Kevin McCullar. So no corresponding roster moves would be necessary to have Diawara fill one of those two-way openings.

However, the possibility of Diawara signing a standard deal shouldn’t be ruled out. The Knicks don’t have enough room below their second-apron hard cap to sign two minimum-salary veterans in order to get to the minimum 14 players on standard contracts for the regular season. So, barring a cost-cutting move, they’ll likely fill one of those roster openings with a second-round pick who can sign a rookie-minimum contract that won’t be subject to tax variance.

The Knicks have no shortage of former second-round picks whose draft rights they hold. Generally speaking though, the longer a player remains overseas, the less likely he is to ultimately sign an NBA contract. That makes a recent draftee like Diawara a better bet to fill that standard roster spot.

Appearing in 27 games for Cholet last season, Diawara averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 19.6 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .383/.310/.488. While those numbers don’t exactly jump off the page, he was also seeing his first regular action in France’s top basketball league (LNB Élite) at the age of 19 and has plenty of room to continue growing.

Diawara made four Summer League appearances for the Knicks in Las Vegas this month, averaging 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 22.3 minutes per game.

Atlantic Notes: Bridges, Hansen, Knicks Summer League, Embiid

July 18th, 2025 at 9:01pm CST by Eli Cohen

The Knicks and Mikal Bridges have yet to agree to an extension. There’s a chance the team has an ulterior motive for putting off a new deal, according to SNY’s Ian Begley (video link).

While it’s likely not the only factor, Begley believes the lingering uncertainty surrounding Giannis Antetokounmpo‘s status regarding his future with the Bucks may be playing a part in the lack of movement on a deal between the Knicks and Bridges.

“With the Knicks and all the other teams kind of keeping an eye on Milwaukee and what may or may not happen there, I think one of the reasons why he has not been extended yet is because once you extend him, you cannot trade him for six months, Begley said on an episode of The Putback. “I think that’s why you haven’t seen Bridges extended yet. When he does extend, I think that would tell you Giannis is put to bed, is off the table in a sense.”

The Knicks’ potential interest in the two-time MVP has been well documented. While the offseason noise surrounding Antetokounmpo has quieted since the acquisition of Myles Turner and the departure of Damian Lillard, the matter might not be closed yet.

We have more from around the Atlantic division:

According to Nets Daily (via Twitter), the general manager of the Qingdao Eagles stated that Yang Hansen had a promise from the Nets if he fell to No. 19 in the 2025 draft. Danny Marang of 1080 The Fan tweets that the Trail Blazers were unwilling to trade further down than No. 16 due to Hansen’s stock rising in the lead-up to the draft. The Blazers ultimately traded from 11th to 16th overall to select the former Eagles center.
The Knicks have posted a 1-3 Summer League record with a mixed bag of performances, even from their rostered players, writes James L. Edwards III of The Athletic. Tyler Kolek shook off a brutal start to display some self-creation flashes, but overall was too loose with the ball for someone billed as a floor general, says Edwards. Pacome Dadiet and Kevin McCullar‘s shooting struggles continued, but both were effective getting to the rim. The standout on the team was the team’s second-round draft pick, Mohamed Diawara, who showed an interesting set of ball skills and physical tools and may have played his way into conversations surrounding a two-way contract.
The recent Joel Embiid feature from ESPN revealed the lack of trust Embiid has in the Sixers organization when it comes to his health, writes The Philadelphia Inquirer’s Keith Pompey (subscription required), who also took the article as a sign that regardless of what the team wants, he will only return from his injury rehab when he’s ready. Pompey adds that the article suggested the team’s culture and lack of top-down cohesiveness under Sam Hinkie hasn’t significantly improved and that for Daryl Morey and the organization to restore the faith of fans, only winning will help.

Atlantic Notes: Timme, Diawara, George, Lawson

July 15th, 2025 at 6:11pm CST by Dana Gauruder

The Nets need to trim their roster before opening night. Drew Timme, who has a non-guaranteed contract, would seem to be a likely candidate to get waived. However, the former Gonzaga big man has strengthened his case during Summer League competition, Brian Lewis of the New York Post writes.

In his first two Summer League games, Timme averaged 26.0 points and 7.0 rebounds. He’s taking nothing for granted regarding his roster status.

“No, not really. I’m honestly [still fighting],” Timme said. “I mean, it’s great and I love it, but I’m fighting. I’m competing. I want to stay here. I think I belong here, and I’ve got to prove it every single day that I do belong here. So it’s all about just fighting that battle every single day. And I like it. I like being the underdog. I like having to force my way into a situation. So, it’s fun.”

Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

Another player who has looked good in Las Vegas is Knicks rookie Mohamed Diawara. The French forward was drafted No. 51 overall last month and it’s uncertain whether he’ll join the Knicks next season or remain overseas for the 2025/26 season. “I’ve been really impressed with Mohamed,” Knicks Summer League coach Jordan Brink told Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “His ability to rebound and run, to push off misses and makes. I thought he was really solid [in Sunday’s loss to the Celtics]. Pretty active defensively, still learning the defensive system and low-man principles.”
How will Paul George‘s latest ailment impact the Sixers? George underwent surgery on Monday after injuring his left knee during a workout, though he’s expected to return in time for training camp. It might further motivate the Sixers to come to terms with restricted free agent Quentin Grimes, who can play either wing position, Tony Jones of The Athletic opines. It may also solidify Kelly Oubre Jr.‘s spot in the starting lineup and heighten the importance of free agent signee Trendon Watford, who is the team’s only natural power forward on a standard contract.
Raptors guard A.J. Lawson has a non-guaranteed, $2.27MM contract for next season but he’s making a strong case for himself in Summer League action, Michael Grange of Sportsnet writes. Lawson is averaging 21.5 points per game while shooting 60 percent overall through two contests. He was promoted to a standard contract late in the regular season.