Who is OKC Thunder’s ‘One Player to Watch’ At the Trade Deadline

After a bit of a rocky patch, Oklahoma City is officially back on track. Any serious worry about this team was always a bit dramatized, but there was certainly slight concern about their matchup with specific Western Conference contenders. After four straight wins, and an 8-2 stretch over the last 10 games, it looks like the Thunder simply went through a midseason lull.

For a long time, it felt like this Thunder team was incapable of a slump or a lull. Over the last two seasons, this team has had to prove itself over and over again, so off-nights weren’t really an option.

After winning the NBA Finals, though, there was a looming question surrounding a championship hangover. The team put that narrative to bed by starting out with a historic 24-1 record — looking invincible in the process. But the lull came just a bit later in the season, and it appears they’re back in a groove. That groove came behind getting back to the basics — prioritizing hustle, scrappiness, and defense. They might not set the NBA record for wins, but they’re still the odds-on favorite to win the championship.

Because of that, Oklahoma City is one of the few teams that should feel zero pressure to make a move at the NBA trade deadline. The Thunder’s main goal during the second half of the season should be staying healthy and building chemistry — with the early injuries, there hasn’t been much time to gel overall.

While OKC doesn’t need to make a trade, there’s always going to be speculation. In ESPN’s latest article detailing one player to watch on each NBA team as the trade deadline approaches, the Thunder’s nominee was Ousmane Dieng — who has been a point of discussion over the last few years.

“In the final season of his rookie contract, Dieng is the most obvious candidate if the Thunder want to clear a roster spot to convert rookie Brooks Barnhizer or reserve center Branden Carlson from two-way contracts," Kevin Pelton wrote. "Dieng has shown promise this season, shooting 15-of-33 (45.5%) from 3-point range after hitting just 29% across his first three campaigns.

“Dieng is still just 22 years old, but retaining him beyond this season will be challenging as Oklahoma City's payroll balloons with extensions for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams.”

Dieng has been good enough in a small sample size this season for Oklahoma City to continue exploring his potential. At this rate, as the roster gets expensive, he could be a cheap re-sign candidate, too. Dieng has real role player potential and he's in a great situation to flourish here in Oklahoma City.

His 3-point improvement is most noticeable, and can be a real skill on this team. If Dieng can continue developing into a 3-and-D player, it's a win for the Thunder.

If management sees a perfect fit and needs to move Dieng in order to make it happen, it's probably best to trust one of the best front office's in the league. But there's no real motive to trade someone like Dieng and risk messing up a good thing. The bottom line, though, is OKC is in a good spot heading into the deadline.