As a second-round pick with only overseas experience on his résumé, Mohamed Diawara was considered, at best, a project.
On draft night, he was only a couple of months removed from his 20th birthday, just coming off averaging 5.8 points in the French league.
Those are hardly the signals of an immediate NBA impact. A draft-and-stash was more likely. Several mock drafts omitted Diawara from both rounds.
But the Frenchman had good size for a wing, a highly encouraging Summer League in Vegas and a bit of good fortune.