Bucks’ Ousmane Dieng sends strong message after first game against former team since trade

The Milwaukee Bucks’ front office must be feeling good of late, as the team’s recent acquisitions have been performing well.

While the sample size is still small, what Cam Thomas and Ousmane Dieng have shown since their respective trades to Milwaukee can’t be ignored.

A day after Thomas went off for 34 points in a win against the Orlando Magic on the road, it was Dieng, who took over for Milwaukee in a game against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Playing at the reigning NBA champions’ home, the 22-year-old Dieng led the Bucks in scoring with 19 points on 7/12 shooting from the field and 3/6 from downtown. He did more than just get buckets, as he grabbed 11 rebounds, dished out six assists and swatted away four Oklahoma City shots in 36 minutes of action.

Bucks’ Dieng speaks up on his former team Thunder after Milwaukee’s win

Following the game, Dieng, who was traded to Milwaukee from Oklahoma City earlier this month via a three-team swap that also involved the Chicago Bulls, had nothing but kind words for the team that welcomed him in the NBA.

Via Jordan Davis of The Oklahoman on X:

Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng spoke about his return to OKC, where he posted a career-high 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists and four blocks on Thursday.

“I’ve got a lot of love for OKC. I spent the last four years with them, grew up with them and got here at 18. I love the fans and love everybody here, so it was just great.”

Dieng was taken by the Thunder in the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft, and won an NBA championship with them in 2025.

Now, he is looking to make a bigger name for himself on a Milwaukee squad that needs him to keep it going amid the absence of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Through three games with Milwaukee, Dieng has averaged 12.7 points on 56.0 percent shooting from the field and 50 percent from deep.