Category: Basketball

The Spurs had a fantastic 2025/26 season that almost resulted in a title, but that doesn’t mean everything was perfect. The downside of having such a talented and stacked roster is that inevitably someone will want more touches or minutes, and it turns out rookie Dylan Harper was that guy, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.

Harper voiced displeasure earlier in the season about a lack of playing time and his role, but those increased as the season progressed and the rookie gained more experience.

It’s not shocking to hear that the clear-cut No.2 overall pick of a great draft class wasn’t happy with coming off the bench and playing a support role for around 20 minutes a game when he was clearly capable of more. You don’t get to be as good as Harper is at basketball without supreme confidence in your abilities and extreme competitiveness, so no one should blame the rookie for wanting more responsibility, especially on a team that early on wasn’t expected to be a contender.

It’s good to hear that, as his role increased and the Spurs proved to be an elite squad, his displeasure seemingly disappeared, but it’s also hard not to wonder if his great postseason performance will have him once again wanting more. Harper was terrific in the playoffs and especially in the Finals, showing that he’s not just a likely future star but also someone who can contribute on the biggest stage right now. And he clearly knows it, which could put the Spurs in a predicament.

If Harper wants to start, Mitch Johnson will face a tough decision. San Antonio has De’Aaron Fox as one of its starting guards. The veteran is on a maximum contract, and, while arguably not as gifted, he’s more well-rounded than Harper. Stephon Castle is the team’s best point-of-attack defender, and he wouldn’t be able to consistently play off the ball to accommodate Harper as the main ball handler because of his lack of range. Devin Vassell had arguably his best season as a do-it-all swingman who was by far the best shooter on the backcourt. Who gets relegated to the bench? It’s not an easy question to answer.

Now, Harper may be fine with a sixth-man role for now as long as he gets more touches and finishes games. His performance in the postseason was impressive enough to suggest he might be ready for more responsibility than the typical second-year guard, but as the youngest and the one with the shortest track record of production, he could be fine with paying his dues as long as he gets more opportunities to grow his game and to act as the closer at times. It might actually be for the best to bring him along slowly, taking advantage of the depth at guard to avoid putting unnecessary pressure on him.

Hopefully, Harper will see it that way and will be happy starting next season as a super sub and the prohibitive candidate for Sixth Man of the Year. If he is, the Spurs won’t be forced to make any tough decisions. If he isn’t, the possibility of trading Fox to make room for the young guard becomes more realistic. While it doesn’t seem like the best idea to move on from the veteran guard this summer, Harper has looked like a future star, and keeping him happy should be one of the franchise’s biggest priorities.

The Spurs have aced the hardest part of any rebuild: getting enough talent to contend. Now, general manager Brian Wright and coach Mitch Johnson will have to figure out how all the pieces fit and who will need to sacrifice or be sacrificed to optimize how things work on the floor and in the locker room.

Darryn Peterson turned some heads when he declared that he’d only meet with the No. 1-picking Washington Wizards ahead of the NBA Draft.

Reports are now beginning to trickle out that the interest in Peterson is not one-sided, as one “well-placed insider” told Marc Stein that the Wizards are giving the Kansas guard “increased consideration.”

Peterson is a highly polarizing prospect in the NBA Draft, as he consistently pulled himself out of games while playing for Kansas, initially described as having cramping issues.

He later said that the cramping was due to excessive creatine usage and was so bad that he was begging team staff to call 9-1-1 while dealing with extremely painful cramping.

Peterson said he believes that creatine usage is the underlying issue that created the problems.

Stein added that multiple draft experts believe that the Wizards are legitimately considering Peterson as the No. 1 draft pick on Tuesday’s NBA Draft.

Peterson was originally the No. 1 high school prospect according to 247 Sports before his standing began to shift due to cramping issues and pulling himself out of key moments in games.

If Peterson does go No. 1, the Utah Jazz would surely be thrilled to snag AJ Dybantsa at No. 2 overall, considering Dybantsa played just 45 miles south of Salt Lake City for BYU.

Dybantsa’s family has been in Utah since his senior year in high school at Utah Prep, where he was the No. 2 overall player in the class of 2025.

There had been some more buzz surrounding Cameron Boozer as the top pick after a strong first year at Duke.

Boozer was one of the best players in college and the No. 3-ranked prospect.

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The question of whether the Spurs should try to trade De’Aaron Fox this summer is one of the most interesting ones of the entire offseason. A portion of the fanbase, along with some talking heads and analysts, would say the answer should be a resounding “yes,” but it doesn’t seem like the front office agrees, according to ESPN’s Michael C. Wright.

“Internally,” Wright writes, “the Spurs remain committed to Fox as their franchise starting point guard. Sources called Fox a calming presence and the team’s closer for most of the season, adding that one rough series essentially playing on one leg doesn’t change that.“

The article, which is definitely worth a read, comes a day after San Antonio Express-News’ Mike Finger wrote a column also worth your time, suggesting, not reporting, that the Spurs should move on from Fox this offseason if they can find a good deal:

The Spurs are going to have to trade Fox before his contract expires, and if there’s an opportunity to do so this summer, they might as well get it over with and rip the bandage off now.

Now, the two quotes might appear contradictory, but that’s not necessarily the case. The Spurs might not shop Fox, at least not aggressively, and could be happy to bring him back while also listening to offers and potentially pulling the trigger if something makes sense for both parties.

So we know from trustworthy sources that San Antonio is committed to Fox, but moving him if they find an opportunity to do so doesn’t seem out of the question. But should they trade him this summer? While the answer is complex, it seems like it wouldn’t be the best idea, for several interconnected reasons. Let’s list them from least to most potentially harmful.

The Spurs’ reputation as a player-friendly franchise would take a hit

Let’s remember the story of how De’Aaron Fox got to the Spurs. Fox, tired of toiling away in Sacramento playing for a dysfunctional Kings team that only made the playoffs once with him on the roster, forced his way to San Antonio in 2025. His goal was to join Victor Wembanyama, already looking like a future superstar, and a fun, young group that featured then-rookie Stephon Castle in hopes of more success. Because he chose the Silver and Black, they got him for relatively cheap on the trade, mostly sending out backups and one valuable pick.

Flipping him now, after a bad postseason from the All-Star guard in which he played out of position and was injured, could give San Antonio a bad reputation with players who might be interested in joining powers with Wembanyama in the future, as they could think the franchise won’t value them. Granted, Fox got his max extension, which mitigates the damage, but the only way a trade would seem like a win-win for both player and team would be if Fox lands somewhere he wants to be and gets star minutes and touches.

The return on a trade is unlikely to be good

Because the Spurs are not just going to dump Fox just anywhere, as Finger says in his column, they’d be negotiating from a place of weakness. The number of suitors for Fox would be artificially reduced, meaning there wouldn’t be a bidding war. It’s possible that not even in the best of circumstances San Antonio would find a great offer for Fox, who is a good but not transcendent player on a maximum salary, but trading him now, when his value seems at an all-time low, doesn’t seem like a good management of resources.

The good news is that because the Spurs didn’t have to pay much to bring Fox along, not getting a king’s ransom back for him wouldn’t be that painful. And if they do in fact move him, it would be because they think they could be better off either on the court, in the locker room, or both by giving Dylan Harper as many minutes as he can handle. Still, since there is no rush, at least from a financial standpoint, waiting and hoping he could regain some of his value and remaining vigilant for the right suitor to appear feels like the better option.

The Spurs would likely be worse, and the pressure on the young guards would increase severely

Since in the event that Fox is traded it would likely be to a place he picks, and since his value is low at this point, it’s unlikely the Spurs get comparative talent back. Let’s assume they get something similar to what the Hawks got for Trae Young, which would be an aging guard (C.J. McCollum) and a limited role player (Corey Kispert). Unless there’s a serious chemistry issue that would be solved by the transaction, like there seemingly was in Atlanta, such a trade wouldn’t make San Antonio better. If the goal is to get back to the Finals next season, a move like that would make that objective more unlikely than, say, starting all three guards or convincing one to come off the bench.

It would also up the pressure on two extremely young players to make major strides in their game. While immensely talented, both Castle and Harper didn’t look ready to run a team last season. They were good scorers, and Castle clearly developed as a pick-and-roll ball handler, but they were not floor generals. Now, Fox isn’t exactly Chris Paul, and he played off the ball a lot, but on several occasions, he was the one who would settle the troops and run some offense that involved others. Despite his slump in the playoffs, he’s also the best three-point shooter of the three when accounting for volume. Maybe none of that would matter if Castle and Harper spent 2026/27 destroying opponents on simple drives, but until we see either or both of them be able to run a team, getting rid of the one guy who can could backfire.

The Dylan Harper lottery changed things for the Spurs. In a different universe, they land a lower pick, don’t select a guard, and the rumors about a potential Fox trade would not be as loud. In this reality and after how he performed in the postseason, it’s understandable to at least question whether a move should be made to clear a logjam and remove a contract that could eventually become a problem.

When taking the long view, however, almost certainly losing talent in the aggregate while trusting two young players to make a leap to make up for it doesn’t seem as appealing at this juncture, if the goal is to make another deep run in the playoffs. Eventually, the Spurs will almost certainly trade Fox, but since there’s no financial rush, they can afford to be patient and wait for a better opportunity.

It’s officially been 10 years since the words “Cleveland, this is for you” echoed off the walls of Rocket Arena from LeBron James.

Members of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers have been out in the United Kingdom, celebrating the 10-year anniversary of the franchise winning their first NBA Championship.

James was joined by Iman Shumpert, Matthew Dellavedova, Richard Jefferson, and more as half of the group was seen driving in a golf cart, on their way to meet up with the rest of the group.

When the two halves finally became complete, the former teammates were filled with excitement as they were seen hugging, dapping one another up, and recreating personalized handshakes that they made back when they were teammates, showing that some good things don’t always end.

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Another video emerged on Jefferson’s Instagram page where James said, “Y’all thought this trip was over?” To which the group ecstatically said, “Sike!”

While the team was out celebrating, Kyrie Irving, who missed the festivities on Thursday, remained missing from the group as he was not seen in any of the videos that were posted.

The group kicked off the festivities earlier this week by playing a round of golf and going sightseeing while they’re out of the country.

The 2016 Cavaliers were a team of destiny, as they overcame an infamous 3-1 deficit to the Golden State Warriors.

On the verge of elimination, James and Irving took their game to another level to help the team overcome the deficit.

Irving had the most important shot of the series when he sank a three-point shot over Steph Curry’s head with less than a minute left in the game. Irving finished the series, averaging 27.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 3.9 assists.

James, who was born and raised in Akron, Ohio, finally fulfilled his destiny in 2016. By bringing his hometown team an NBA title. He put on a clinic during the series and was crowned MVP after averaging 29.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 7 assists.

Back when Tim Duncan was in college at Wake Forest, people would watch him and think, what’s all the fuss about? Then they’d look at the boxscore and see 26 points, 15 rebounds, 4 blocks, and 5 assists.

In person, he was sort of boring because he never did anything flashy. He was just incredibly sound.

Cameron Boozer is much the same way.

Zach Lowe watched him casually and wasn’t impressed. Then he watched more closely and got it.

He says “Boozer is so smart, so crafty, and has this super high IQ, where his vision and his IQ make him faster and more athletic than he actually is, because he’s outthinking everybody on the court. And he has such a smart sense of anticipation and angles. Combine that with a workable three-point shot, at least in college, a nasty streak, an ability to handle the ball in the pick-and-roll…I fu**ing love that guy…I think he’s gonna walk in and be a really good NBA player right away.”

That’s what Duke fans were lucky enough to see last season. Like others before him – Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and just last week, Jalen Brunson, Boozer is smart enough to force the game to be played on his terms.

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Knicks president Leon Rose shared that he received a meaningful good luck charm from Eagles general manager Howie Roseman during the Knicks’ championship run.

In a video that’s making rounds on social media, Rose displayed a black case with a slate from the city of David in ancient Jerusalem inside and explained that Roseman gave it to him before a Knicks playoff game at the Garden.

“I want to share this with everbody,” Rose said while at MSG. “Howie Roseman, general manager of the Philadelphia Eagles came tonight with his boys and he gave me this gift which is a piece of slate from the city of David in ancient Jerusalem that he got when he was there and he either got it, or it was given to him in 2024.

“He took it to the Super Bowl and won the super bowl and he gave it to me for good luck tonight before the game. Un-friggen-believable.”

Rose, who did not say which playoff game Roseman attended with his sons, but it was clear that the Knicks won the game.

Philadelphia won the 2025 Super Bowl, defeating the Kansas City Chiefs 40–22.

The Knicks completed a four-game sweep of the Philadelphia 76ers and the Cleveland Cavaliers en route to winning four of five against the Spurs to clinch their first championship in 53 years.

Rose and Roseman, who are both Jewish, are friends and natives of New Jersey.

Fresh off helping the New York Knicks win their first NBA title since 1973, Jalen Brunson has been interviewed by everyone. Including the youth.

Brunson appeared as a guest on Kids Sports Reporters and was asked who is the most famous person in his phone, to which he hilariously replied by taking a jab at Luka Dončić.

“I don’t know, some basketball player, right?” Brunson said, and then went on to sarcastically joke about Dončić and said, “I would say Luka probably. I’m not a fan of Luka. He’s probably one of the worst teammates I’ve ever had.”

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Brunson and the two reporters interviewing him went on to take more shots at Dončić until one of them caught Brunson off guard when he said Dončić doesn’t play defense, which caught Brunson off guard and he abruptly responded saying “Wow!”

After the jab, Brunson was quick to defend his former Dallas Mavericks teammate by saying, “He plays defense. He plays a little defense, he tries.”

Before Brunson arrived with the Knicks in 2022, he was drafted by the Mavericks, alongside Dončić in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The two developed a long-lasting friendship that still exists to this day.

Before Team USA took on Slovenia in a warm-up game during the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Brunson praised Dončić and called him his brother.

During the NBA Finals, Dončić revealed in an interview with the Spanish YouTube channel Drafteados that he texted Brunson, “Just one more,” as the Knicks were one game away from winning the NBA Finals.

When New York pulled off the 94-90 Game 5 victory over the Spurs, Brunson said Dončić reached out to him again and congratulated him on the championship.

Veteran guard D’Angelo Russell has opted in to his $6 million player option for the 2026-27 season, Jake Fischer reported Friday.

Russell, 30, was acquired by the Wizards on Feb. 5 as part of a trade that sent Anthony Davis, Dante Exum and Jaden Hardy to Washington. He averaged 10.2 points and 4.0 assists across 26 games with Dallas last season.

Despite the trade, Russell never reported to the Wizards as the sides navigated a buyout agreement that never materialized. Wizards general manager Will Dawkins said the team and Russell spoke following the trade and agreed he wouldn’t report.

“With D’Angelo, we’ve talked to him, talked to his representatives. At the time, he’s not going to report as we try to figure out what’s best for him and us in our future,“ Dawkins said.

It’s possible Russell quickly becomes a trade piece for Washington, as it appears neither side is interested in the former All-Star playing significant, if any, minutes in a Wizards uniform this season.

If the Wizards re-sign Trae Young, which is considered very likely, the roster sits at 12 guaranteed contracts. If you include Jamir Watkins, who has a $2.15M team option that likely gets picked up, and the No. 1 pick, Washington is at 14 standard deals.

The Wizards also hold the No. 51 and No. 60 selections in the 2026 draft.

In today’s Dub Hub:

• Warriors held pre-draft workouts on Thursday headlined by Brayden Burries, Labaron Philon, and Hannes Steinbach.
• Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor believes the Warriors are still interested in trading for Kawhi Leonard.
• Jalen Brunson gets emotional speaking to the New York City crowd at the Knicks’ championship parade.

The Golden State Warriors wrapped up another set of pre-draft workouts ahead of next Tuesday’s NBA Draft. Thursday’s crop was one of their most intriguing workouts yet, featuring Arizona guard Brayden Burries, Alabama guard Labaron Philon Jr., and Washington big man Hannes Steinbach.

Burries is one of the top guard prospects in the draft and has been a popular name linked to the Warriors throughout the pre-draft process. He is a versatile guard who would add size to Golden State’s backcourt alongside Stephen Curry, measuring 6-foot-4 and 215 pounds at the NBA Draft Combine. He also provides value as a perimeter shooter, knocking down 39.1% of his three-point attempts during his freshman season at Arizona.

Philon, meanwhile, offers a different type of fit in the Warriors’ backcourt. The Alabama guard is a more dynamic creator off the dribble, with the ball-handling and scoring ability that helped him average 22 points per game during his sophomore season. However, Philon is considerably smaller than Burries, measuring 6-foot-2 and 176 pounds at the combine.

Lastly, Steinbach is widely regarded as the top rebounding prospects in this year’s draft class. The 6-foot-10 freshman big averaged 11.8 rebounds per game last season, the most of any player in the country. He also possesses excellent hands and a high basketball IQ, giving him intriguing upside as a passer despite averaging just 1.6 assists per game.

With the draft now less than a week away, the Warriors will continue to evaluate a wide range of prospects as they weigh their options with the No. 11 overall pick. While Burries, Philon, and Steinbach bring very different skill sets to the table, each fills a potential area of need for a Golden State team set on adding young talent around its veteran core.

For more on this and other news around the NBA, here is our latest news round-up for Friday, June 19th:

Warriors News:

Narrowing down the five best fits for Warriors in a loaded 2026 NBA Draft | NBC Sports Bay Area

Most teams want to make sure their top pick has at least one elite trait, and Steinbach clearly does. His strong and massive hands help him be the best rebounder in the draft. Steinbach positions his body well and he just has a knack for the ball. He led the country in rebounds per game (11.8) and he also ranked second in the Big Ten with 126 offensive rebounds. 

The NBA’s latest trade, free agency and draft chatter | The Stein Line

Golden State’s Kristaps Porziņģis is one of those players and league sources say that the sides are indeed progressing in talks on a new deal after the Warriors acquired Porziņģis and his expiring salary of nearly $31 million on Trade Deadline Day in February.

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor: ‘I do think the Warriors still want Kawhi Leonard’

NBA News:

What I’m hearing about Giannis Antetokounmpo, other NBA players as draft nears | The Athletic

The Celtics have gone to great lengths to avoid the elephant in the room here, but Jaylen Brown would need to be part of any deal for Antetokounmpo. And if Boston had its way, the conversation would start and end there with a one-for-one swap of fellow All-Stars who are still in their respective primes (Antetokounmpo is 31; Brown is 29). Lest anyone forget, Brown is coming off his best season yet, finishing sixth in MVP voting.

Jalen Brunson speaks at the Knicks championship parade

In case you missed it at Golden State of Mind:

How the Warriors can acquire another 1st-round pick in the 2026 NBA Draft

Given Golden State’s limited avenues to improve the roster, the depth of guards in this year’s draft class, and a quietly deep free agent crop of guards that could be in the non-taxpayer mid-level exception price range (Quentin Grimes, Ayo Dosunmo, Coby White, Benedict Mathurin, Landry Shamet, Keon Ellis, Norm Powell, Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton, CJ McCollum, and De’Anthony Melton), the Warriors could be in position to improve their depth by trading Podziemski for another first-round pick, giving Will Richard an expanded role, and adding a proven guard in free agency.

A post to end the week:

Follow @unstoppablebaby on X for all the latest news on the Golden State Warriors.

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Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are counting on one of their younger prospects to take another step forward this summer. Whether it’s Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor, or their upcoming first-round pick, it’s important that one of them turns into a hit.

Earlier this week, asked you, the fans, who is the most important prospect out of that bunch. Here are the results.

An overwhelming majority chose Tyson. That might not be much of a surprise.

Tyson became a fan favorite last season through his hustle on the court. Bringing heart and toughness to this Cavalier team is the quickest way to win over the city.

But Tyson was more than just a junkyard dog. He took a huge leap forward as a three-point shooter and showed some skills in the pick-and-roll that make him an intriguing offensive prospect. The Cavs would love to see him continue to improve as a shooter while fleshing out the rest of his offensive game. His playmaking in the short roll, for example, leaves endless opportunities.

On paper, Tyson can be a highly valuable complementary piece moving forward. The fans seem to have taken notice.

Proctor is a distant second. But make no mistake, he’s someone whom I’d feel just as excited about. Proctor has good size and defensive instincts for his position. I trust his jumper is legit, and the more he can do on-ball, the more helpful he can be. I think there’s a chance Proctor can earn backup point guard minutes in his sophomore season.

Finally, the 29th pick in this year’s draft comes in last place. That’s because there’s simply no telling what to expect from a late first-round pick. None of us assumes that this pick will translate to anything tangible in the immediate future. Though it’s still important that whoever they select can develop into someone useful down the line.

Cleveland currently holds the 11th highest odds to win the title next season. They won’t get any higher if they strike out on all three of these prospects.

Thomas Haugh‘s decision to return to Florida after a breakout sophomore season sent shockwaves that reverberated throughout not only college basketball but the NBA as well. The consensus All-American forward announced his return to Gainesville in mid-April despite most projections listing the 6-foot-9 Haugh as a potential lottery pick in the upcoming 2026 NBA Draft.

And it turns out the NBA has one of its own to thank for that decision. Golden State Warriors veteran big man Draymond Green confirmed he advised Haugh to go back to Florida after learning what he could make in NIL. According to CBS Sports’ Matt Norlander, Haugh could exceed $10 million in NIL during the 2026-27 season, with roughly $8 million coming courtesy of the team’s NIL collective, Florida Victorious.

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Haugh first revealed his conversation with Green last week after the Gators started summer workouts. It was an in-depth consultation with the four-time NBA champion, courtesy of their mutual friend, Warriors rookie Will Richard, who won the 2025 national title with the Gators.

“I was just like really up in the air about it,” Haugh told reporters, per GatorsOnline‘s Zach Abolverdi. “I kind of wanted to get like a perspective from like a player. And so, I called Will (for advice) … and then he’s like, ‘I’m actually going to add Draymond right now.’ And then we talked for like 45 minutes. It was pretty sick.”

Green revealed his side of the conversation with Haugh earlier this week on his podcast, The Draymond Green Show, citing the multitude of reasons a return to Gainesville was ultimately the right decision. And while the NIL money was an important factor, Green pointed to the potential legacy Haugh could establish by going back and potentially winning a second national championship at Florida.

“We start talking about the number (Haugh) could possibly get if he went back, and when (Richard) told me the number in the millions that he’d make if he stayed at Florida, I was like, ‘Oh, no question he should go back,’” Green recalled this week. “When we got on the phone with Thomas, the number was actually higher then (what) Will had thought or had told me it was. But No. 1, Thomas grew up a Florida Gator fan, family are big time Gators fans, so Florida is his dream school. He’s won a national championship there, gonna come back next year and have an opportunity to win a second national championship possibly, and compete for national player of the year, and (then enter) a much weaker draft (in 2028).

“And he’s going to make really good money; that’s 1099 income as opposed to W2 income that NBA players make,” Green added. “And he’s going to solidify himself as one of the greatest Gators ever. I just don’t know how it gets much better than that.”

Of course, Green’s advice for Haugh didn’t stop there.

“One thing I told him, ‘Alright, but you’ve got to go do the work. You have to come back (to the NBA) next year better than you are right now. So you gotta go do the work, but I think it’s the right decision to go back to school,'” Green added. “I hope he has a great year, I’m praying for his health, and build that draft stock up even higher. Because I think he’s more than capable of doing that.”

Haugh’s return coincided with similar draft decisions from fellow juniors Alex Condon and Rueben Chinyelu. That has Florida among the leading favorites to win the 2027 national championship.

A big shift that has occurred in the six years that Leon Rose has been in charge of basketball operations is one that naturally occurs when a team begins to compete. The priority shifts from development to winning now.

The year that Rose and company fully shifted from the youth movement to a veteran-ladened roster was 2023-24. Obi Toppin was traded to Indiana, RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley went to Toronto, Quentin Grimes went to Detroit. Four guys that seemed like key parts of the team’s future two years prior were out the door to supplement a core around Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle (later, Karl-Anthony Towns).

With draft assets being tossed around in these trades and others (particularly to get Mikal Bridges), the youth pipeline was completely shut off. All that was left was the occasional late first and a few seconds every so often.

You see them filling out the back end of these rosters with lottery tickets in these spots. The Tyler Kolek’s and Ariel Hukporti’s of the world. But with their most recent pick, No. 51 in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Knicks made their biggest upside play, and hope that they might’ve found a diamond in the rough for the future.

Mohamed Diawara was born on April 29, 2005, in Paris, France. Basketball wasn’t his first love; soccer was, but a growth spurt, coupled with watching his sister play as a little kid, instilled a love for the game in him, resulting in him joining La Domremy Basket at the age of 13 and later joining the Saint-Charles Charenton youth team alongside Pacǒme Dadiet in 2020.

He made his senior debut with Paris Basketball in 2021 at the age of 16, but his minutes were sporadic over the next few years across both continental and LNB Pro A. As he continued to mature as a man and a basketball player, he had a hard time finding a role, eventually being loaned down to second-division Poitiers Basket 86 in December.

That summer, he left Paris to play full-time in LNB Élite, signing with Cholet Basket for the 2024-25 season to get a bigger role ahead of his draft eligibility year. NBA scouts had long noticed his talent, naming him the best player at a 2022 Basketball Without Borders event in Milan, but he needed to find out how to best put his skills on display. That summer, he won a gold medal with France’s U20 team at FIBA EuroBasket in Poland.

At Cholet Basket, he played 20 minutes a game, by far a career high, but he was limited to just 5.8 points and 3.1 rebounds a game on mediocre efficiency. He looked the part of a raw prospect, but he still decided to enter the 2025 NBA Draft, banking on his elite measureables to convince an NBA team to take a flier on him with their ever-growing addiction to drafting for traits over production.

The Knicks were scheduled to make their only draft selection at No. 50, but traded back one pick to allow the Clippers to come up and take Kobe Sanders. With the 51st pick, Diawara heard his name called, joining his old French teammate Dadiet in New York.

It was a relative surprise to see that this late-second round selection wasn’t a Eurostash and planned to compete for a roster spot. He showed some flashes on both ends in an overall forgettable Summer League for the Knicks and benefited from Brock Aller needing to dance around the second apron, which allowed him to get into training camp with an inside track at a guaranteed contract.

There, he impressed the coaching staff right away and earned his way onto the Opening Night roster after initially only signing an Exhibit 10 deal. He was very far down the depth chart, as you might expect, but with Mike Brown now in charge, maybe he’d get a chance other recent rookies didn’t?

It took until late November for him to get meaningful minutes, where he struggled against Orlando in a very sad game overall. A month later, in the NBA Cup hangover game in Indiana, he got his first career start with five regular rotation players ruled out.

Slowly, he was gaining more reps, even if the impact wasn’t there yet. Something seemed to click for him when he got a quick 3:40 stint on Christmas Day against Cleveland, which turned into his most impactful week of the season. He earned starts against Atlanta and New Orleans on the upcoming road trip with Josh Hart injured, with his 18-point performance against the Pelicans serving as the best game of his rookie year.

There were things holding him back, though. Despite tantalizing sequences with his defensive abilities, the team was struggling to defend anything during this time, killing his lineups. In the New Year’s Eve clash with the Spurs, Diawara earned the start but was limited to just six minutes. Why? Teams had enough film on him to start dissecting his weaknesses.

While he was a 40% shooter and a deadeye corner sniper in limited reps, there was some hesitancy with his shot. He also hadn’t shown an ability to attack driving lanes and make plays the way Hart does, so teams started utilizing ghost coverage, which played him off the court.

As a result, January was a month that saw him sink back into a deep reserve role as the team got healthier. He’d occasionally re-emerge when guys were banged up, but he seemed unprepared to attack the new way he was being defended.

He started getting more comfortable when he was called upon in early February. He played 15 critical minutes in a double-overtime win against the Nuggets, he started for a shorthanded Knicks squad in Detroit against the Pistons, and he looked great in a season-high 27 minutes against the Celtics just after the trade deadline.

His most memorable game might’ve been his March 1 game against the same Spurs team that revealed the book on how to play him off the court. When called upon against Mitch Johnson’s ghost coverage, he attempted a staggering 13 three-pointers in 15 minutes and was a plus-18 in a blowout win.

By late March, the team had gotten fully healthy and, despite showing some real flashes, he was outside the 9 or 10-man circle of trust that Brown had heading into the playoffs. He didn’t play a single meaningful minute in the playoffs, even when OG Anunoby missed two games with injury.

The overall numbers don’t say anything special, but for a player who barely managed to sneak into the end of the second round, he had an impressive rookie season. Maybe he could’ve contributed to this championship run. Maybe the Knicks didn’t want to simultaneously risk rookie mistakes or buffing up the complicated contract situation that will result in him being a restricted free agent at the end of the month.

Regardless, Diawara is a champion. He joined an exclusive group of Muslim NBA players who would win a championship, and even managed to be featured alongside Mayor Mamdani in an article during Ramadan. If cap mechanisms can manage to keep him in New York going forward, he’s an exciting piece for when we’ll have to start thinking beyond this core of players.

Congrats, Mo!

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(P&T will be doing player-by-player article tributes over the next few weeks to commemorate the special team that ended our long, half-century nightmare)