The Hornets just locked in Moussa Diabate for the long haul. ESPN reports it’s a standard three-year NBA contract—quite the upgrade from his previous two-way deal with the G-League. The team announced the signing on Sunday, making it official. But another thing happened on Sunday which has made the 23-year-old’s status questionable.
Diabate’s night ended early on Sunday after taking a hit to the face. In the second quarter against the Pistons, he went down and needed help getting to the locker room. That was it for him—he never checked back in. Charlotte ended up losing 112-102, and Diabate wrapped up with five points on perfect shooting (2-2 FG, 1-2 FT) and a single rebound in seven minutes.
Diabate’s availability for the next few games is up in the air, as he’s currently listed as questionable. This season, he’s appeared in 43 games, putting up 4.7 points per game while grabbing 7.1 rebounds in 19 minutes a night. His efficiency has been solid, shooting 59.4% from the field.
Moussa Diabate is DOUBTFUL to return to the game due to a “right eye injury,” team says. pic.twitter.com/LcYxD1joYU
— /r/CharlotteHornets (@HornetsReddit) February 9, 2025
Charlotte clearly values him—so much so that they moved both Nick Richards and Mark Williams in recent weeks. Though, in a twist, the Lakers backed out of the Williams trade on Saturday. Diabate, a 2022 second-round pick out of Michigan, has stepped up when needed. He even got the start against the Spurs on Friday, finishing with nine points and 15 rebounds in 33 minutes.
But with Williams back in the mix, his spot in the starting lineup isn’t guaranteed. Plus Jusuf Nurkic has also landed in Charlotte.
Will Moussa Diabate get minutes with Williams back and Nurkic in the roster?
After trading Mark Williams to the Lakers, the Hornets were left thin at center with only Moussa Diabate and Taj Gibson. To address that, they struck a deal for Jusuf Nurkic from the Suns, swapping him for Vasilije Micić. But there’s a twist—the trade still isn’t finalized, leaving both players stuck on the bench.
Despite Nurkic’s arrival, Diabate isn’t giving up his spot easily. In 25 games without Williams, he’s averaged 9.0 rebounds, 4.6 points, and 1.0 assists. As a starter, those numbers jump to 12.2 boards and 2.6 assists. His energy has been electric, especially in the win over the Spurs—nine points, 15 rebounds, and six assists while locking up Victor Wembanyama.
Head coach Charles Lee is all in on Diabate’s potential. “A lot of confidence in Moussa. I think he’s just kinda scratching the surface too, which is kinda cool. This is the first time he has had the opportunity to play this much of a role, and he is making the most of his opportunity.”
Feb 3, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma (33) up for a shot defended by Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
As for Nurkic, Lee believes he’ll bring toughness and smarts. “I think he is gonna be really good in terms of understanding player tendencies on defense, also just bringing an edge and physicality that I think we need.”
Nurkic has experience, but his scoring has dipped below 10 points for the first time since 2016-17. Until he officially suits up, the starting job still looks like it belongs to Diabate.
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