OKC Thunder: Is Ousmane Dieng's Roster Spot Safe for Next Season?

The Oklahoma City Thunder are running back most of their NBA championship roster, but they could still have a key decision to make.

Over the past three years, Ousmane Dieng has been a project for the Thunder. While he has excelled at the G League level, he hasn’t produced more than an occasional flash of being a contributor in the NBA.

Dieng currently holds down a standard roster spot ahead of the final season of his rookie deal. With Dillon Jones being sent to Washington to clear a spot for Thomas Sorber, it appeared that Dieng might be safe.

However, if the Thunder want to make any other additions to the roster this offseason, Dieng is likely the odd man out. Considering Oklahoma City’s situation, it seems unlikely that would happen, thus giving Dieng a good chance of entering next season with the Thunder.

Still, it wouldn’t be shocking to see the Thunder part ways with Dieng to clear a roster spot for some flexibility, which they did throughout the early stages of last season before converting Ajay Mitchell to a standard contract.

Although Oklahoma City might not have the initial flexibility it did last season, if a two-way guy such as Branden Carlson or Brooks Barnhizer break out to begin next season, Dieng’s time could be up.

Of course, when Sam Presti truly believes in one of his draft picks, it can take until their final contract year to fully make a decision. The Thunder entering next season with Dieng on the roster wouldn’t necessarily show confidence in him or that the team has interest in keeping him beyond 2026, but it would show that Oklahoma City still believes he deserves a chance to showcase his skills.

It would be far from the first time Presti has used that method to see if a player is worthy of sticking around with a group that has seemingly moved past the need for that player. There have been some clear examples in just the past few years, with Darius Bazley being traded at the deadline in 2023 and Aleksej Pokusevski being waived in 2024.

Dieng still has some potential to make it at the NBA level, and he could end up on another roster beyond next season if the Thunder don’t keep him around. However, next season could be his last chance to make an impact, and if the Thunder enter the year with him, it could be a tall task for Dieng to break through.