The Charlotte Hornets may be shaping their offense around Brandon Miller, Naz Reid and Coby White, and they’ve also spent real draft capital on the center spot with Ryan Kalkbrenner and Hannes Steinbach over the past two summers. But the player quietly tying a lot of this together is Moussa Diabate.
Diabate is already leaving his imprint on how Charlotte wants to play on both sides of the ball. Early in the season, he’s not just part of the plan - he’s helping define it.
At 24, Diabate still looks like one of the league’s most overlooked bigs. He’s listed at 210 pounds, but with a 6'10" frame, a 7'2.5" wingspan and explosive athleticism, he covers ground fast and creates problems everywhere.
That showed up right away in the Hornets’ season-opening win over the Brooklyn Nets, when Diabate put up 17 points and five steals. It showed again in a recent win over the Washington Wizards, where he finished with 11 points, 17 rebounds, 11 offensive boards and three blocks.
None of that should surprise anyone who watched him a season ago. Diabate was a major part of Charlotte’s late-season push, and the numbers backed it up: he ranked in the 71st percentile in rim protection, the 85th percentile in overall screener defense, the 88th percentile in defensive rebounds per 75 possessions and the 96th percentile in offensive rebounds per 75 possessions, according to Basketball Index.
The roster around him has changed since 2025-26, but Diabate’s value has carried over. In fact, it may be even clearer now.
A year ago, Charlotte leaned into a small-ball look with Diabate at center and Miles Bridges alongside Miller at forward. In 2026-27, the Hornets have moved toward a more modern traditional setup after essentially swapping Bridges out of the 4 spot for Naz Reid, the former Sixth Man of the Year.
Reid is not a classic power forward, but he brings a more familiar frontcourt skill set because he can shoot and handle the ball. That gives Charlotte more scoring punch inside.
It also puts a premium on what Diabate does. When Reid drifts to the perimeter, Diabate’s offensive rebounding becomes a weapon. When Reid is working closer to the basket, Diabate has to make up for his shaky jumper by using his passing feel and constant screening.
Defensively, the fit works the same way. Diabate’s range and activity complement Reid’s 264-pound frame and physical strength, giving the Hornets a balance they can use on that end.
His impact stretches beyond the frontcourt pairing, too. Diabate’s screens matter for creators like Kon Knueppel, Miller, Dennis Schröder and White. His offensive rebounding gives Charlotte second chances, but his real value is in how often he shows up in the middle of actions with screens, handoffs and flares that keep the offense moving.
On defense, he gives teammates a release valve. His ability to switch onto ball-handlers in pick-and-roll coverage is a major safety net for the Hornets.
That combination makes his job less about one narrow role and more about helping everybody else do more. There may be a point when Kalkbrenner or Steinbach gets the spotlight, but based on how Diabate is performing, that feels hard to picture right now.
He might not fit the old template for a modern big man. He doesn’t need to. The way he shows up in nearly every phase of the game is exactly why he matters so much to Charlotte.
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Knueppels latest step is a notable one, as he was officially assigned to the Greensboro Swarm for practice, a move that often comes when a player is getting close to rejoining the NBA roster. Charlotte still does not have a fresh timeline for White or Williams, who remain out indefinitely, so the focus now shifts to how soon Knueppel can give the Hornets another available body and, potentially, another piece of the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
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Hornets Fans Are Ripping Charles Lee Over His Naz Reid Decision
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From there, the reaction online moved fast, with plenty of Charlotte fans ripping the move and trying to piece together what prompted it. Lee did not offer any additional explanation after the game, and Reid did not address it, leaving the decision to hang out there as another talking point for a team already under enough scrutiny. [Read more 🡒]