Knicks Draft Pick May Stay Overseas

The New York Knicks may stash their latest NBA Draft pick.

Nov 24, 2023; New York, New York, USA; General view of the in-season tournament court logo during warmups before a game between the New York Knicks and the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are going international when it comes to their latest draft pick.

With the No. 51 overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, the Knicks selected French forward Mohamed Diawara, who played this past season for Cholet Basket.

There's a chance Diawara could stay in France with Cholet, according to HoopsHype insider Cyro Asseo.

"Mohamed Diawara played a key role for Cholet. I think the New York Knicks will stash him but he could be a cheap switch big. Still raw offensively, he is a solid defender and great rebounder. He has a non stop motor and hustles for every loose ball," Asseo wrote on social media.

It wouldn't be a surprise to see the Knicks keep Diawara in Europe to work on his game for a year or two. At just 20 years old, he likely wouldn't be seen as a top contributor for a contending team any time soon, so the Knicks may decide to stash him until he is more seasoned.

This wasn't the approach the Knicks took last year when they selected Pacome Dadiet, but he was a first-round pick with a little more upside. The same could have been said for Ariel Hukporti, but he played in the NBA last season.

Diawara is expected to join the Knicks for the Las Vegas Summer League, so that could suggest the opposite would happen, but the team has a couple of different directions it can go in with its newest player.

Diawara is expected to headline the Summer League roster, which will be finalized over the course of the next several days. Summer League in Las Vegas is set for July 10-20. Games can be watched on ESPN and NBA TV or streamed on the ESPN app.

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