Moussa Diabate further proves he should be a staple in the Hornets' rebuild

Another impressive performance from the Hornets' young big man.

Mar 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Charlotte Hornets forward Moussa Diabate (14) dunks against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

It may have come in yet another loss, but Charlotte Hornets center Mousa Diabate notched the seventh double-double of his career with a 15-point, 11-rebound performance on Friday night against the Sacramento Kings.

“He gave me the opportunity to play and trusts me," Diabate said in his postgame press conference when asked about his relationship with head coach Charles Lee. "I'm forever grateful for what he's done for me. Giving me the opportunity, especially as a young coach and first year... I'm coming off a two-way, for him to just give me a chance, it means a lot.”

Diabate may not be the most skilled player offensively, but he does enough to help complement the rest of the lineup. Defensively, he's as good as the Hornets have had underneath. If he doesn't get his hand on a shot at the rim, he still finds ways to impact the arc or angle of the shot. Despite checking in at just 6'9", he has tremendous length that bothers penetrating guards and wings.

While Mark Williams may have the best potential of the three centers on the roster, he also has the biggest concerns due to his injury history. The Hornets were okay with the idea of parting ways with him back at the trade deadline, so it wouldn't be all that surprising to see another attempted trade this summer.

If Diabate continues to be a defensive menace, do his thing on the glass, and chip in eight or ten points every night, it may be worth moving on from Williams and getting some draft capital to help establish depth in other areas of the roster.

Regardless of what Jeff Peterson and Co. decide to do with Williams, one thing has become evident: Moussa Diabate is a key part of this team's future, and he's just scratching the surface.

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