OKC Thunder Forward Impressing at EuroBasket

The Oklahoma City Thunder are set to embark on an important season when it comes to making a decision on the No. 11 pick of the 2022 NBA Draft, Ousmane Dieng.

Dieng enters the final year of his rookie contract and is set to be a restricted free agent following the 2025-26 campaign. The Thunder have rarely allowed players to hit restricted free agency after their rookie deals, often trading them before they get the chance –– most recently with former No. 6 overall pick Josh Giddey, who was shipped to the windy city last summer in favor of Alex Caruso, who eventually re-signed in Bricktown last December.

This summer, the still just 22-year-old will head overseas to take part in EuroBasket with Team France. There is no question that this is a massive opportunity for Dieng, even to just practice with and play in the exhibition stage against the high-quality NBA players around him all August.

For the exhibition play of EuroBasket, Dieng is flanked by ten other players with NBA experience, headlined by youngsters Bilal Coulibaly, Alex Sarr and Zaccharie Risacher.

At a practice for Team France, Dieng was filmed sinking multiple half-court shots at the end of the team's shoot-around. The young wing appears confident and comfortable in this environment, which has a chance to make him tangibly better next season.

Dieng would be far from the first player to come back from an international summer competition a better player. This could go a long way in Dieng defining himself as an NBA player long-term and perhaps sticking around Bricktown longer than most peg him to.

Team France EuroBasket Schedule

• Aug. 4 vs. Montenegro
• Aug. 8 vs. Great Britain
• Aug. 14 vs. Spain
• Aug. 16 vs. Spain
• Aug. 24 vs. Greece
• Aug. 28 vs. Belgium
• Aug. 30 vs. Slovenia
• Aug. 31 vs. Israel
• Sept. 2 vs Poland
• Sept. 4 vs. Iceland

It is unclear what Dieng's role will be with Team France, especially once they leave exhibition play, but the Oklahoma City Thunder forward should be able to gain plenty from this experience competing for his country.

This marks a busy year for Dieng, who saw his NBA commitment span from October until late June and now will be involved in Eurobasket until September with NBA training camp opening up at the end of that month for an ever-important 2025-26 campaign for the former lottery pick.

The Eurobasket will offer basketball fans another avenue to get their fix of hoops during the NBA offseason with plenty of high-profile competing throughout the event.