The New York Knicks and restricted free agent forward Mohamed Diawara have agreed to a multiyear contract worth more than $10 million, according to ESPN's Shams Charania.
The deal, reached on June 22, 2026, keeps the 21-year-old French small forward in New York as the team prepares to defend its championship title.
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Contract Details
Specific terms remain unclarified, but the financial figures suggest a four-year contract worth the minimum or slightly above due to salary cap restrictions.
The Knicks held only Non-Bird rights for Diawara, limiting their standard offering capabilities unless New York utilized its taxpayer mid-level exception.
Ian Begley of SNY.
tv reported that while the contract has not been finalized yet, the deal is expected to be completed shortly.
Diawara was expected to receive interest from multiple rival teams in restricted free agency, which could have placed New York in a financial bind.
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Background
The 6-foot-9 forward was in an unusual contract situation after New York acquired his rights last year in a draft-day trade with the Los Angeles Clippers.
New York initially signed Diawara to a non-guaranteed Exhibit 10 contract before converting it to a one-year rookie minimum deal to remain below the second-apron hard cap.
This allowed him to hit free agency earlier than traditional draftees.
Diawara returns for the 2026/27 season following a rookie campaign where he averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds while shooting 36.9% from three-point range across 69 games.
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The Knicks face a busy offseason with up to 10 potential free agents as the franchise structures its roster for the upcoming championship defense.
