With only 19 contests left in the Charlotte Hornets' 2024-25 campaign, the front office should have a clearer understanding of which roster pieces should extend their stay next season.
The big names are likely going to dominate the headlines, as there is always the possibility of trading LaMelo Ball if the front office decides to shake up the roster and restart the rebuild. There doesn't appear to be any word on the grapevine that Brandon Miller will be on the trading block, although Mark Williams will likely be sent to a new home this summer.
Rumor has it that Miles Bridges could finally be on the move, but the longest-tenured Hornet has proven his value to the franchise through his consistency and impressive performances of late.
Hopefully, Charlotte's lead executive, Jeff Peterson, has learned his lesson that in building a competitive squad, it's important to find quality players beyond the starting lineup and up to the 12th roster spot. The Hornets' lack of bench production and backup plans for injuries has probably cost the team a lot of wins this year.
Moussa Diabate is a vital asset for the Hornets
A key bench piece that should be a lock to be on the squad beyond this offseason is Moussa Diabate. The young center has displayed that time and time again despite the occasional DNPs and limited playing time. Earlier in the season, he had even proven to be one of the league's most potent rebounders.
Unfortunately, Diabate's minutes have fluctuated from game to game for various reasons, including his two-way status from the beginning of the campaign until early last month when the organization finally inked him to a multi-year contract. The rescinded Mark Williams trade also prevented him from moving up the depth chart.
The silver lining for the Purple and Teal is that it doesn't seem like the French big has harbored ill feelings due to the dearth of opportunities for him to strut his stuff. In an interview with Sports Illustrated, he was asked what he wants to accomplish for the remainder of the regular season, responding that he is just trying to stay locked in and help the team as much as possible.
That was evident in Charlotte's win over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday, where he grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds (10 from the offensive end). It was the fifth time he recorded at least 15 boards. More impressively, he also added 16 points on 8-12 shooting against the Nets.
The Hornets can potentially benefit from unleashing Diabate, especially because they need players who consistently bring physicality and grit every game day. It will be a huge challenge for the coaching staff, though, as Williams and Jusuf Nurkic also deserve minutes, although maybe it's time to experiment with fielding a twin-tower combination of "The Moose" and Nurkic to see how well the 23-year-old would fare alongside a floor-spacing big man.