The Charlotte Hornets have guaranteed Moussa Diabate’s contract for the 2026-27 season, according to league sources cited by Ohm Youngmisuk on Monday, June 1.
The deal had previously been non-guaranteed, making the move a key roster decision heading into the offseason for the Charlotte Hornets. Diabate won the NBA Hustle Award this season.
Diabate, now firmly part of the Hornets’ frontcourt plans, entered the NBA after being selected by the Los Angeles Clippers with the 43rd pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. He spent multiple seasons on two-way contracts with the Clippers before joining Charlotte on a two-way deal in 2024, later converting it into a standard contract in February 2025.
His role expanded during the 2025-26 season with Charlotte, where he became a consistent rotation center. He appeared in 73 games, starting 47, and provided interior production anchored by efficiency around the rim and defensive activity.
In the 2025-26 regular season, Diabate averaged 7.9 points, 8.7 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 0.8 steals, and 1.0 blocks per game while shooting 63.1% from the field. His impact on the glass ranked him among the team’s most reliable rebounders in extended minutes, complementing the Hornets’ young core led by LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel.
With the guarantee now confirmed, Diabate is expected to remain part of Charlotte’s rotation heading into the 2026-27 season as the franchise maintains continuity around its emerging core and playoff-contending structure.
