Has Ousmane Dieng Done Enough to be a Valuable Trade Piece for OKC Thunder?

It's no secret that Oklahoma City has one of the most talented rosters in the NBA.

With 13 healthy players, two former first-round picks still yet to play a regular season game, and a trio of intriguing two-way players, the Thunder's roster is loaded with depth and competition.

Players like Aaron Wiggins, Isaiah Joe, Jaylin Williams and Kenrich Williams have all proved themselves in the past, including a few strong postseason performances, but are still fighting for regular spots in OKC's rotation.

The aforementioned players usually earn solid time on the floor when healthy in the regular season, but would likely see bigger roles on other teams around the NBA. Joe was mostly absent from the team's playoff rotation in 2025, and Jaylin Williams saw spot minutes depending on the matchup.

Of course, for the Thunder, this is a good problem to have. Alongside a strong eight-man rotation of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstin, Lu Dort, Alex Caruso, Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, OKC still has other solid pieces on the roster who can contribute when called upon.

One player who hasn't been as consistent throughout his NBA career is former lottery pick Ousmane Dieng. The largely unknown French prospect was selected No. 11 overall in the same draft that brought Holmgren, Jalen Williams and Jaylin Williams to Oklahoma City, but has struggled to earn playing time in the Modern Frontier.

Had Dieng been selected earlier in OKC's rebuild, when the team was still focused on roster, he likely would have been able to see the floor more often. Instead, the Thunder were a competitve team as soon as Dieng joined the roster, reaching the postseason in 2022-23.

Since then, the team has only improved, and as a result, Dieng hasn't seen much time on an NBA court. The 6-foot-9, 185-pound wing has shown flashes, mostly in the G League, where he earned Finals MVP while helping the OKC Blue to a title, but was more raw than the other prospects OKC added in his draft cycle, and the following classes.

Recently, though, Dieng has started to show more flashes with the Thunder, included consecutive double-digit scoring outings in his last two appearances.

Against Utah, the 22-year-old finished with 14 points, 3 assists, 2 rebounds and 0 turnovers while shooting 5-of-7 from the field and 4-of-5 from beyond the arc.

OKC Thunder Ousmane Dieng 14 PTS (5-7 FG, 4-5 3P, 100% TS), 3 AST, 2 REB, 0 TO in 26 minutes vs. Jazz https://t.co/MNZOpOyDNg pic.twitter.com/5RZzPvgGC6
— Role Player Performances (@BenchHighlights) December 8, 2025

Three days later against Phoenix, Dieng notched 11 points, 3 rebounds and 0 turnovers while shooting 4-of-6 from the field and 3-of-4 from 3-point range in 12 minutes of action.

Dieng will be a restricted free agent following the 2025-26 season, and likely won't have a spot in OKC moving forward. With Nikola Topic and Thomas Sorber set to return from injury, the Thunder's trio of two-way players continuing to improve and Oklahoma City receiving of multiple first-round picks in the upcoming draft, there may not be room for Dieng on the roster.

It also seems unlikely that Sam Presti would let a player out of the Modern Frontier without getting a return on investment, even if that return is only second-round picks. Dieng's recent performances likely haven't significantly boosted his trade value, but it could make the former 2022 lottery pick more enticing to oppsoing teams on the trade market, especially teams in the midst of a rebuild.

Want to join the discussion? Like Thunder on SI on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest Thunder news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.