Add the Bulls' Decision to Flip Ousmane Dieng to a Long List of Front Office Flips

Look, I'll keep this relatively brief. I recognize that there are far greater reasons to slap the Chicago Bulls' front office on the wrist, but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't keeping an eye on Osumane Dieng in Milwaukee.

Arturas Karnisovas' trade deadline has gone from good to bad to worse. It started to venture into that middle threshold once he made the perplexing move for Nick Richards. Yes, the Chicago Bulls were lacking traditional size in the frontcourt. But was solving that problem really a necessity in an already lost season?

What felt far more paramount was evaluating young talent who could potentially be a piece of the puzzle down the road. It's the best way for a rebuilding team to make the most of the last month or so of the season. The Bulls appeared as if they understood that by adding Jaden Ivey (oops), Rob Dillingham, Leonard Miller, and eventually Dieng. However, the Bulls then proceeded to flip Dieng for Richards and hold onto veteran guard Collin Sexton. Throw in the previous additions of Guerschon Yabusele and Anfernee Simons, and what felt like a clear plan became anything but.

Dieng was a former No. 11 overall pick who was in desperate need of playing time. He appeared in only 109 games over his first three seasons with OKC as they transitioned into win-now mode. Even more noteworthy, Dieng was headed toward restricted free agency. In other words, acquiring him could be seen as a pretty low-risk, high-reward move. You could evaluate him over the final couple of months before having full control of his future. Either re-sign him for cheap, match an offer, or let him walk.

The Bulls' decision not to go down that road with the 22-year-old was a true head-scratcher, especially when adding "young players with experience" had been a publicly stated goal. Not to mention, Dieng seemed to fit pretty darn well with what this team has needed. He is a six-foot-ten wing with high-upside perimeter shooting and playmaking ability.

Nobody was trying to claim that he was some hidden superstar, but Dieng undoubtedly felt like the right kind of player for the Bulls to take a look at. So, naturally, he is now making them pay for not doing exactly that with the Bucks!

Ousmane Dieng Goes for Career-High

Mar 31, 2026; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Milwaukee Bucks forward Ousmane Dieng (21) looks for a shot against Dallas Mavericks guard John Poulakidas (1) in the fourth quarter at Fiserv Forum. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-Imagn Images | Benny Sieu-Imagn Images

Ousmane Dieng led the way for Milwaukee in a tight loss to the Houston Rockets on Wednesday. He dropped 36 points with 10 assists and 7 rebounds on 48.4 percent shooting from the field. He relentlessly attacked the paint off the bounce and located open shooters. We saw him hit step-back mid-range jumpers, blow past defenders in transition, and finish strong through traffic.

Now, it's worth noting that Dieng did take 31 shots in 44 minutes of action. Plenty of NBA players can make some noise when they are allowed to command that much of the offense. But, again, he was extremely efficient and more than willing to make the extra pass or attack the glass. This is also the right time for a losing team to take the training wheels off and see what a player like him can do. The Bulls have been extremely wary of doing that.

A career night for Ousmane Dieng.

36 PTS | 10 AST | 7 REB | 48% FG pic.twitter.com/RyHi7CPpCX
— Milwaukee Bucks (@Bucks) April 2, 2026

Dieng has four double-doubles since joining the Bucks on February 9 (three of which came thanks to his rebounding). He has shot 37.1 percent from downtown to go along with his 10.6 points and 3.1 assists per game. Dieng had his fair share of off nights, but he has also put together plenty of balanced efforts. If one thing is for sure, he is seemingly the type of player who is constantly looking for a way to make his presence felt, and there is a decent chance he's earned himself a role with the Bucks next season.

But remember, the Bulls were not interested! A move like this would be easy to cast aside for a front office with a respectable resume. Of course, the Bulls don't fall under that category. They have left us no choice but to dissect every decision they make, and this sure feels like another missed opportunity to add to a never-ending list.

Indeed, whether it's the big moves or the ones around the margins, this Bulls front office has repeatedly come up short. When that's the case, justifying your job during an annual review becomes that much harder. What would you say you do here?

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