The Knicks made an impressive move by trading with the Clippers during the second round of the 2025 NBA Draft, acquiring a 32-year-old Serbian player.
Luka Mitrovich, who was originally picked by the 76ers at No. 60 in the 2015 NBA Draft, was part of the deal that saw New York move down to the 51st pick, allowing them to select Mohamed Diawara.
Since his draft by Philadelphia a decade ago, Mitrovich has played for various professional teams across Europe. Recently, he suited up for KK Crvena Zvezda’s teams in the ABA and Euroleague during the 2024-25 season, participating in 47 games.
Throughout the Euroleague regular season, Mitrovic played 34 rounds, facing teams like Panatinaikos Athens and Kurvenazvezda Meridienbet Belgrade in a game held in Athens, Greece, on April 11, 2025.
Even while staying in Europe, the rights to Mitrovich were part of two NBA trades. Shortly after being drafted, he was included in a trade involving Carl Landry, Jason Thompson, and Nick Stauskas headed to the Sixers.
Later, he was traded to the Clippers midway through the 2023-24 season in exchange for Filip Petrusev, a former teammate from Crvena Zvezda.
Mitrovic began his basketball journey at 17 when he signed with the Serbian team Hemo Farm for the 2010-11 season.
In 2021-22, he found his way back to Crvena Zvezda after spending five seasons there from 2012-13 to 2016-17.
Currently, it’s uncertain if the Knicks plan to bring Mitrovich to the United States. The contract situation seems to relate to the salary cap, as it won’t affect the cap unless signed.
With their 51st pick during the draft, the Knicks ultimately chose French forward Diawala, who is 20 years old and played in the French LNB Pro A League for Chollet Basket. He averaged 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists over 27 games.
Notably, he also possesses a remarkable 7-foot-4 wingspan and a 9-foot-2 standing reach.
