OKC Thunder Forward Sees EuroBasket Stint End

This will be a big season for Ousmane Dieng. The No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft is entering a contract season ahead of restricted free agency in the summer of 2026.

The OKC Thunder have rarely allowed players to his restricted free agency under Sam Presti. Typically, the team either works out extensions or trades the player before that point. Josh Giddey is the most recent example, last summer being shipped to Chicago for defensive ace Alex Caruso. Darius Bazley, a closer example to use for Dieng, was traded at the deadline prior to reaching RFA for Dario Saric back in 2023.

Dieng's future is up in the air in Bricktown. If you had to make a prediction it would lead this scribe to say he will not make it to the 2026-27 season with Oklahoma City.

However, that isn't set in stone. The Thunder always knew the now 22-year-old forward would be a project player as Sam Presti and Mark Daigneault continue to preach that the NBL product is progressing as expected for the franchise.

Dieng has improved especially at the G League level, where he helped the OKC Blue win its first championship as Finals MVP. The swingman has guard-like skills in a 6-foot-11 222-pound body, a frame that the current Thunder don't have in its rotation but could use.

The now four-year man is an NBA-ready defender and fits like a glove in Oklahoma City's style of play on that end of the floor. Though Dieng has to take a massive step on the offensive end as a rim-finisher and reliable 3-point option to finish plays on that end. The word constantly used around Dieng is a fitting one: "force," he simply needs more of it.

In an ideal world, the Frenchman becomes a high-level defensive forward who is a capable offensive player to give Oklahoma City a weapon to use against bigger forwards such as Aaron Gordon and P.J. Washington, a type of player that has given the Thunder fits in recent seasons.

However, it is undoubtedly going to be an uphill climb for the Thunder swingman with a loaded rotation that doesn't give him as much time on the hardwood to grow at the varsity level. A stellar training camp and early-season outing are needed if Dieng hopes to stick around in OKC.

This summer, the forward spent time with Team France at Euro Basket, going through training camp and an exhibition game before being among the first three cut by the club.

On Friday, Dieng was part of a three-man roster trim with Frank Ntilikina and Moussa Diabate to get the Team France roster down to 14 players.