Mohamed Diawara is set to be a restricted free agent (RFA) following the 2025-26 NBA season. As the 51st pick in the 2025 draft by the New York Knicks, he signed a one-year, $1.27 million standard rookie contract, placing him as an expiring contract in the 2026 offseason.

Key Details Regarding Mohamed Diawara:

Contract Status: Diawara signed a one-year, guaranteed contract for the 2025-26 season.

RFA Status: Due to the nature of his one-year deal as a second-round pick, he is considered a premature RFA for the 2026 offseason.

Position: A 20-year-old defensive-minded wing.

Performance: He impressed in the 2025 Summer League and preseason, earning a spot on the Knicks' regular-season roster.

Because he was on a one-year deal (an Exhibit 10 converting to a standard contract) rather than a multi-year deal, he will have restricted free agent rights, allowing the Knicks to match offers.

DLeethal wrote:

nycericanguy wrote:im really worried about MO, he's going to be a stud, but i read we gave him a 1 year deal only and can only offer him a min contract next year? seems another team could easily offer him $3m or so and he's gone. Would be another IhART - esque **** up by Leon. Why draft someone and then not give yourself any control over them?

I have not seen that at all. I have seen he is a RFA and we can match anything, but there's nothing stopping another team from giving him a huge offer and forcing us to match.

would love to see Bobby marks or someone chime in on the scenarios, MO is that guy you hope can bridge the now and future when you're a contender.

I actually really like him at PF next to KAT because he protects the rim with his length.

martin wrote:

nycericanguy wrote:im really worried about MO, he's going to be a stud, but i read we gave him a 1 year deal only and can only offer him a min contract next year? seems another team could easily offer him $3m or so and he's gone. Would be another IhART - esque **** up by Leon. Why draft someone and then not give yourself any control over them?

I may have this wrong but for Knicks to have signed Mo to anything longer than what they did, they would have had to use some sort of cap space or exception space like they did with Kolek? And that would have been a second round exception deal that has to be either 3 or 4 years. I don't think this was available to the Knicks.

After that, you use the minimum exception deal, and you can only do either 1 or 2 years. Knicks have Mo on a RFA deal, and that is healthy for both sides? I think.

thanks. its crazy how much this new CBA is hurting the little guys, whether intentionally or not. A guy like MO could have probably gotten 3 years guaranteed under the old CBA, instead he could be 1 and done. Now doesn't look like that's going to happen to MO at all, but any other 2nd rounder picked that late could easily be out of the league after a year.

I think about guys like Grimes, CAM... guys that couldn't get paid because of the new CBA. It's really a broken system.

If the knicks gave guarantee to all their low picks you'd have an issue. You know MO could be special now. That was not known at the time.
My take is you get a verbal on a player that he'll get an opportunity to play and raise his value, but Knicks need assuranes they can keep him and will take proper care of him also. Works both way. Minutes or opportuntinities are very valuable.

Playes can **** franchises and visa versa. Remember Carlos Boozer? He gets the Cavs to no reup a player option so they can reward him and resign at a higher price. They did not have to do that. In turn he got a crazy offer from Jazz and took it. He totally ****ed them over.