Report: Hornets sign 22-year-old French forward to two-way contract

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Charlotte Hornets have signed Moussa Diabate to a two-way contract for the upcoming season. Diabate spent the past two seasons with the LA Clippers after being selected with the 13th pick in the second round of the 2022 NBA Draft.

Though he played in some games with the big club, Diabate spent the majority of the past two seasons in the G League. The French forward, who played college ball at Michigan, played in 18 G League games his rookie year and 14 last season.

Hornets sign Moussa Diabate to two-way contract

In the 24 G League games he appeared in last season, Diabate averaged 15.6 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.0 steals, and 2.1 blocks while shooting 56.7% from the floor. He also shot 20.0% from distance but only attempted five threes on the year.

Diabate also got some run in Summer League this year. He played for the Clippers roster and, across five games, averaged 12.2 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 1.0 assists while shooting 64.1% from beyond the arc.

At 6-foot-9 and with a near-7-foot-3 wingspan, Diabate has some very intriguing defensive potential, and the Hornets could stand to take a chance on some big men.

As things stand, they have Mark Williams, Nick Richards, and fellow Frenchman Tidjane Salaun as their big men, and the rookie is definitely more of a power forward than a center.

Though Diabate will only be on a two-way deal, it will be nice for Charlotte to get a look at another big man, especially if he can contribute to winning basketball on the defensive end of the court.

Up to this point in his career, Diabate has been unable to carve out a role at the NBA level, but he’s found a ton of success in the G League, and that’s not nothing.

Charlotte will try to compete for a spot in the Play-In Tournament this year, but it seems more likely that they fall just short and end up in the lottery again.

Because of that, they can afford to take a chance on some youngsters, especially if it’s just with a two-way contract.