OKC Thunder Injuries Present Perfect Opportunity for Ousmane Dieng

Oklahoma City won’t be fully healthy to begin next season, but it could work out for one of the Thunder’s young prospects.

Ousmane Dieng is set for his fourth season in the league, and it will be a make-or-break year for the French forward. While his days in Oklahoma City and perhaps the NBA appear to be numbered, he might have caught the break he needed.

Recently, the Thunder announced that Kenrick Williams underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee and will be re-evaluated in 6-8 weeks. With one of the Thunder’s key frontcourt reserves out until at least mid-November, Dieng could step into some of those minutes and make his case for another contract.

Last season, Dieng averaged 3.8 points and 2.2 rebounds while playing in only 37 games, making it critical for him to capitalize on any opportunity he can find. While it’s unfortunate to see other Thunder players get hurt, Dieng has been on the other side of this situation plenty of times and could even use it to his advantage.

“Yeah, obviously sometimes it's tough,” Dieng said. “But I think it helped me grow mentally. So, yeah, I'm just ready and I'm doing whatever I can to stay healthy.”

While Williams’ missed time early in the season should have the most direct impact on Dieng’s opportunity, Thomas Sorber’s torn ACL could also play a significant role for the forward. Coming in at 6-foot-10, 223 pounds, Dieng has the frame to play some small-ball five for the Thunder. 

Over the course of his time in the league, Dieng hasn’t had much of a consistent role, but he might actually be able to use that to his advantage amid these injuries.

“I worked on a lot of stuff physically and basketball, keep improving my shot,” Dieng said. “I worked a lot on my shot this summer.”

Assuming Dieng can be a versatile player when he sees the floor next season, he could certainly forge his way into the Thunder’s rotation. His size and skill set make him a unique player, but finding ways to display that on an NBA floor has eluded him up to this point.

With Williams out for quite some time to begin the year, Dieng must show that he’s matured physically and mentally to complement the talent that helped him win the 2024 G League Finals MVP. Although there is no guarantee that Williams’ injury will even net Dieng consistent minutes with how deep the Thunder roster is, he knows what has to be done to stick in the NBA.