The young Frenchman will begin his Clippers career on a two-way deal.
The Los Angeles Clippers and second-round pick Moussa Diabaté have reportedly agreed on a two-way contract, per the LA Times’ Andrew Greif. As a result, Diabaté will begin his developmental ‘long game’ in the G League.
Moussa Diabate’s contract with the Clippers is a two-way deal, league sources confirm. The team announced today the rookie big man had officially signed.
— Andrew Greif (@AndrewGreif) July 22, 2022
The Clippers selected Diabaté with the 43rd pick in June’s NBA Draft, and a two-way contract has been rumored for some time as a way for the Clippers to maintain a modicum roster flexibility going forward through the offseason.
As of right now, the Clippers currently possess 14 guaranteed contracts on the books and only have space for one more player on a guaranteed deal. The Clippers extended an Exhibit 10 offer to center Moses Brown, and if he looks well in training camp then the big man could see himself possibly take that final remaining guaranteed spot.
With Diabaté now taking up one of the two allocated spots for two-way players, Los Angeles will have one spot left. That could potentially go to either Jay Scrubb or Xavier Moon, or even to another player who jumps onto the team’s radar over the next few weeks.
Diabaté played in only two games during the Clippers’ Las Vegas Summer League stint due to an ankle injury he suffered late in a game against the Los Angeles Lakers. Diabaté averaged 9.5 points, 7.5 rebounds and shot 70% from the field during his time in Sin City, putting forth an impressive display that left most onlookers hopeful.
This will be a good opportunity for Diabaté considering he’ll be able to spend time with the newly re-named Ontario Clippers working alongside, in all likelihood, Jason Preston and Brandon Boston Jr., the Clippers’ two promising second round picks from a year ago.
The Clippers are in no rush to have Diabaté show up in the NBA and get tangible minutes, so the big man taking his time to develop his skills in the G League always made the most sense.