Charlotte Hornets general manager Jeff Peterson raved about one of his recent trade acquisitions earlier this week, excited to usher in Naz Reid after acquiring him from the Minnesota Timberwolves in the LaMelo Ball deal. Peterson admitted to admiring Reid throughout his career, saying, "He’s a guy who has changed his body, has changed his habits, his approach. So, I like to bet on guys like that. Chip on the shoulder, got it out of the mud, found a way to have success."

Although their play styles differ, a lot of Peterson's description matches Moussa Diabate, who has come a long way since being selected No. 43 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in 2022.

Now with Reid, Diabate, Ryan Kalkbrenner and recent No. 14 overall pick Hannes Steinbach at the center position, Charlotte has tremendously upgraded their frontcourt after leaning heavily on Diabate and Kalkbrenner throughout the 2025-26 season.

This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: Charlotte Hornets GM raves about recent trade acquisition