Latest news with #MohamedDiawara
New York Times
5 hours ago
- Business
- New York Times
Knicks free-agency primer: Could Luke Kennard or Dennis Schröder be on New York's radar?
NBA free agency unofficially begins June 30. That's when teams can start negotiating with other team's free agents. The New York Knicks, given their limited financial situation, likely won't be major players during a free agency cycle that is as weak as it has been in some time. New York began the offseason searching for a head coach. It still is. This week, the Knicks selected French forward Mohamed Diawara with the No. 51 pick (Diawara will be at NBA Summer League, per league sources, but his contract status for the immediate future is to be determined, those league sources said.). Now, New York will turn its focus to building out the rest of its top-heavy roster. The Knicks have a very-talented starting five that, on paper, can compete with any in the league. However, New York must upgrade around the margins to capitalize on an Eastern Conference window that is there for the taking. Advertisement The Knicks' primary needs are playmaking/ballhandling and shooting. Luckily for New York, even with how few dollars it has to spend, there is enough of both out there at what should be good prices, including potentially retaining some of their own free agents. Before we go any further, though, let's break down all of the financials. The salary cap for the 2025-26 season is projected to be $154.6 million and the luxury tax is projected to be $187.9 million. The first apron projects to be $195.9 million and the second apron $207.8 million. As things stand now, the Knicks have $196,310,224 committed to next season — that is assuming they pick up the team option of Ariel Hukporti and decline the team option of P.J. Tucker. New York will be over the first apron with 10 roster spots filled (again, assuming Hukporti's option is picked up). That leaves the Knicks, who are roughly $10 million short of the second apron, with very limited money to use in the open market. With the idea that Precious Achiuwa won't be returning next season, New York will have the taxpayer midlevel exception ($5.7 million) to use and then will need to fill out the rest of the roster with minimum deals/signing its recent second-round pick. Now that we have the nuts and bolts, let's dive into a few names the Knicks could target with the taxpayer MLE and minimum deals. Players can officially sign with new teams on July 6. I'd imagine that Kennard could command more than $5.7 million from another team, but depending on his interest in joining the Knicks and him being a CAA client, it's not completely out of the realm of possibilities for him to be a Knick next season. Kennard would check both the playmaking/ballhandling and shooting needs for New York. The latter speaks for itself, as Kennard has been one of the NBA's most accurate 3-point shooters since being drafted by the Detroit Pistons in 2017 (he shoots 43.8 percent from 3 for his career). Advertisement Kennard is an underrated ballhandler and passer who can initiate offense and play as a pseudo point guard. He's averaged over six assists per 100 possessions three times in his career. Given the Knicks' limited funds, he'd be the first call I'd make on June 30. Schröder has been one of the better backup point guards in the NBA the last few seasons, and that was highlighted by his impact in Detroit once he joined the franchise at the deadline. Schröder played a big role in the Pistons finishing the regular season strong and taking the Knicks to six games in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs. Schröder isn't a shooter but he can get hot. He can set up an offense, get paint touches and move the ball. He'd also be another scrappy point-of-attack defender that New York could add to the mix. Teams with more money than the Knicks will be able to land Jerome, and somewhere between the taxpayer MLE and nontaxpayer MLE is where I think his salary will land. The guard put himself on the map last season with the Cleveland Cavaliers as he was one of the league's best bench players. Jerome averaged 12 points per game while shooting 43.9 percent from 3. He can handle the ball and be a playmaker as well. TY JEROME AT THE BUZZER 😳 — NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 29, 2025 Things didn't go great for Jones in Phoenix, but he's still a solid player. He can shoot the 3-ball and would be a solid ballhandler to add to the Knicks' rotation. Jones has historically taken care of the basketball, which is an underrated NBA skill. He played last season on a vet-minimum deal. I think he gets more than that this offseason, but probably not more than the $5.7 million New York can offer. Another CAA client, Harris might end up being a beneficiary of a weak free agency class. The 30-year-old guard has been nothing but consistent throughout his career, but last season he went through his worst campaign as a professional. He averaged the fewest minutes (14.8) and points (3.0) since his rookie year. It's very possible that Harris could be had on a one-year, prove-it minimum deal due to his decline the last two seasons and injury history. However, given that the pickings are slim in regard to wings who move the needle in unrestricted free agency, I could also see him getting slightly more than the minimum. Advertisement Harris is a career 36.8 percent 3-point shooter and has been a good-to-great defender for most of his career. He'd be a risk for the Knicks with the taxpayer MLE, but might end up being one of their better options if he can tap back into the player he was two years ago, when he averaged 8.6 points and shot 43 percent from 3. Harris is last on this list because I could easily see him playing next season on a minimum deal. After he shook off the rust from a shoulder injury, Shamet returned to the Knicks and had some good moments, particularly toward the end of the regular season and during the Eastern Conference finals. Shamet averaged 15 minutes per game last season and shot 39.7 percent from 3. He competes hard on defense and is a pro's pro. Bringing Shamet back makes sense if New York can't land someone like Kennard with the taxpayer MLE. Wright defends at a high level, sets up an offense and can get into the paint. You know what you're going to get every night from him. Wright, like Shamet, had big moments in the Eastern Conference finals for the Knicks. Delon Wright deflections — KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) May 26, 2025 The options are limited and Curry is a career 43.3 percent 3-point shooter. He led the league last year from deep, knocking down 45.6 percent of his 3s. It's probably still too soon for me to bring up Bryant's name after he hit three 3s in 13 minutes to help the Indiana Pacers eliminate the Knicks in the Eastern Conference finals, but he could provide some insurance for New York next season. The Knicks have Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson holding down the frontcourt spots, but it's possible that the next head coach starts both players together. Robinson doesn't have the cleanest injury history and Hukporti, while promising, tore his meniscus in February and had a meniscus injury he was dealing with last summer. Bryant, a Rochester, New York native, could be a solid safety net and provide some shooting here and there from the center spot. (Photo of Luke Kennard driving the ball against OG Anunoby: Joe Murphy / NBAE via Getty Images)
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft
Grading New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been an interesting offseason thus far for the New York Knicks after reaching the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 last season. Advertisement Of course, the Knicks started off their summer by firing head coach Tom Thibodeau and they are the only team still looking for a new head coach for next season. New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau.© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images While the Knicks continue their coaching search, they entered the 2025 NBA Draft looking to add another young player to their roster though they only held one pick in the draft. New York held the 50th pick in the 2025 draft but they sent that to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the 51st pick and cash considerations. With the 51st selection, the Knicks drafted French forward Mohamed Diawara to upgrade their frontcourt depth. This selection was a surprising one by New York as many believed that Diawara would likely be an undrafted free agent as he had not quite converted his game to the LNB Elite league in France. Knicks' 2025 NBA Draft Grade: D Because of this, the Knicks earned a D grade for their 2025 draft as they reached on Diawara, though he does have the physical tools to eventually develop into a solid NBA player in New York. Advertisement Last season in the LNB Elite league in France, the 20-year-old forward averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 38.3% from the field and 31.0% from three-point range. This was an improvement from his prior seasons in France and if the Knicks can continue to help him develop, he could become a solid role player for them off the bench. Diawara is a solid scorer, though he does need to improve on his shooting percentages and his 6-8 frame should help him on the defensive side of the ball. While it may have been a reach for the Knicks, they hope that Diawara can continue his development and become a key piece to their roster in the future. This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.
