Before finding a home on the Charlotte Hornets, Moussa Diabate spent two underwhelming seasons with the LA Clippers. After his former employer let him go, some fans apparently targeted him with harsh criticisms.
According to Owen O'Connor of Sports Illustrated, some Reddit users were quick to assert that Diabate was "not an NBA player." Even those who believed in the young center caught strays.
The LA Clippers subreddit after allowing Moussa Diabaté to walk in the summer of 2024:
— Owen O’Connor (@OwenOConnorNBA) January 29, 2026
“Maybe you guys just need to stop expecting 2nd round players to be solid role players.”
“He’s not an NBA player. It’s as simple as that. No hate. Wish him the best.”
“I just did not see why…
Proving 'em wrong
Well, it didn't take long for Diabate to prove his doubters wrong. Following the Clippers' decision not to re-sign him in the summer of 2024, he quickly found a new team in Charlotte and was able to dispel the notion that he couldn't establish his place in the league.
He had to bide his time, though, as he joined a Hornets squad that already had Mark Williams and Nick Richards dominating the big man rotation when they were healthy. Still, Diabate had done enough to warrant more minutes whenever he got the chance to get on the floor. Some Hornets fans had even expressed their frustration with Charles Lee's decision not to put him on the court more often.
This season, the French center has played himself into the starting lineup — not bad for a guy some Clippers fans had thought did not deserve to be in the NBA. Not only that, but he has also been the anchor of one of the league's most potent five-man lineups this season.
Diabate is still continuing to grow his game, although he is already one of the best in a key area: cleaning the glass. His per-36 rebounding average is among the dozen best in the league, but he has done most of his damage on the offensive end. Moose doesn't always have monster rebounding games, like when he sandwiched his career-best 19-rebound performance against the Memphis Grizzlies with a couple of contests of grabbing just five boards each time. However, his gravity and intensity when boxing out usually open up more rebounding opportunities for his teammates.
On offense, the 24-year-old has been an efficient roll man and putback artist. The good thing is that he seems to be expanding his bag as time has progressed. He even scored his first 3-pointer since his rookie season against the Grizzlies.
If it isn't obvious yet, the Hornets found a treasure from the Clippers' recycling bin. But if you ask whether the Inglewood-based club regrets letting him walk, the answer would probably be negative. It has an underrated pivot in Ivica Zubac, whose backup in this campaign is former All-Star Brook Lopez. Perhaps what the franchise rues is failing to foresee how valuable Diabate would turn out to be and giving him up for nothing.