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The Denver Nuggets have signed forward Yakhouba Diawara (pronounced ya-KOO-ba DEE-a-WA-ra) to a contract, team Director of Player Personnel Mark Warkentien announced today. Per team policy, terms of the deal were not released.

Diawara, 6-7, 225, recently played with the Nuggets at the Toshiba Vegas Summer League, helping the team to a 4-1 record. In five games, he averaged 11.8 ppg, 3.0 rpg and 1.8 apg in 23.0 minutes, while shooting .553 from the field.

In 2005-06, Diawara played in 20 games for JDA Dijon Bourgogne of the French League and 25 games for Climamio Bologna of the Italian League. In France, he averaged 16.5 ppg and 5.7 rpg and in Italy, he averaged 10.6 ppg and 3.8 rpg.

Diawara, 23, played two seasons (2003-05) at Pepperdine University, where he was named All-West Coast Conference First Team as a junior. In 45 games with the Waves, he averaged 15.5 ppg and 6.0 rpg. He spent his first two collegiate seasons at Southern Idaho Junior College.

Diawara is a native of Paris, France.