The New York Knicks have a lot of talent to work with, and while it might not be translating to as many wins as fans might like, the team remains in contention to represent the Eastern Conference in the NBA Finals.
But with the Knicks having a strong core led by Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, role players are becoming more important under head coach Mike Brown in his first year leading the team, as is the case with new additions Jose Alvarado and Jeremy Sochan.
But at the same time, rookie Mohamed Diawara is another player who has received more minutes over the past month, as in February, he had multiple 20+ minute games, which were the first of his career.
While Diawara is still developing for New York in his first NBA season, the wing player from Paris has shown signs of becoming a consistent addition for the Knicks in their 2025-26 campaign.
Most recently, writing for Bleacher Report, Dan Favale named Diawara as one of five players who deserve more playing time than he is currently getting.
Knicks Urged To Play Mohamed Diawara More
After being drafted in the second round last summer, Diawara is averaging just 2.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, and 0.6 assists on 46.2% shooting, but has played in 47 games and gotten six starts.
Those numbers might not be too impressive, but as mentioned, in the month of February, he’s slowly become a mainstay in the Knicks’ lineup, averaging 13.7 minutes across nine contests, the most of his rookie season.
While New York already has Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby at the wings, two top-tier players at the position, Favale discussed how slotting Diawara into the lineup even more could be a good move for the Knicks as the season goes on.
“Mohamed Diawara looked like a viable reserve wing entering the All-Star break—a huge deal for a New York Knicks team that doesn’t technically have any,” he wrote. “Favoring the more experienced Sochan is tempting, but could also be a mistake. While he is more of a ball-mover and has real one-on-one defensive chops, Diawara has proven to be the more reliable as a three-point shooter.”
Though a limited sample size, Diawara is shooting 41.3% from deep, and as Favale mentioned, at this point in his career, defenses are more inclined to close out on the Knicks’ other top shooters rather than the rookie. His defense is still developing, and while still behind Sochan in the depth chart, slotting Diawara in more consistently, as has been the case recently, could be a worthwhile decision in the most important stretch of the season.
“He isn’t going to deliver shutdown possessions against Jaylen Brown every night, but he can be moved around the positional spectrum just as easily,” Favale added. “Given how defenses still guard Josh Hart and the importance of a non-spacer like Mitchell Robinson, Diawara should be treated as the higher priority over Sochan so long as he’s the more dependable three-point threat.”
Jalen Brunson Drops Big News On Knicks Future, Contract Extension
In what is likely the biggest news of the day for New York, Brunson is fully committing to a long-term future with the team.
Speaking in an interview with Stefan Bondy of the New York Post, the franchise star said that he hopes to spend the rest of his career with the Knicks.
“I would love to be here for the rest of my career. I love this place,” the guard said. “They’ve welcomed me with open arms. They’ve been behind my back since Day 1. I built a life here. And I love the city, I love the fans, I love everything this place has offered me, on and off the court. So I just love it here. And I’d love to stay.”
Brunson has been loyal to New York since he arrived, as he took a pay cut when signing his contract extension with the team in 2024, in hopes of landing a bigger deal down the road.
“Brunson accepted a four-year, $156.5 million deal when he would have been eligible to extend with the Knicks for five years and up to $269 million if he waited until after the 2024-25 season to sign,” Adam Wells of B/R wrote. “Sam Rose, Brunson’s agent, told Adrian Wojnarowski at the time that Brunson will be able to make up for the difference on the back end when he could sign either a four-year, $323 million extension in the summer of 2028 or five-year, $418 million in 2029.”
In a separate interview with Vanity Fair, Brunson said he is hoping the Knicks will ‘do right’ by him when he signs his next deal, as taking a pay cut on his previous contract helped the front office build the current roster.
But Brunson staying in town is a good sign for the Knicks, as they hope to compete for a title this year and in the future, regardless of who else is on the roster.
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