Ousmane Dieng speaks after his big night against his former team.
Ousmane Dieng returned to Oklahoma City on Thursday as a member of the Milwaukee Bucks.
Dieng put on a show, finishing with 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks as he helped the Bucks to a 110-93 victory.
Dieng previously spent four seasons with the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was moved multiple times at the trade deadline before ending up in Milwaukee.
After the game, the Bucks' social media team caught up with Dieng and asked him how he felt.
"That felt great. Coming back after only a week. A week ago, I was still playing with them. It was great. Great to help [The Bucks] win. Came back with the win. Just fun, man," he said.
Ousmane Dieng's Path To Milwaukee
Though he was drafted 11th overall in the 2022 NBA draft, Dieng never found a spot in the Thunder rotation. He was just 19 years old in his rookie season, and the Thunder were on the rise with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander establishing himself as a superstar, Josh Giddey being another lottery pick and creator, Jalen Williams having more maturity to his game, and Chet Holmgren providing valuable two-way ability.
Dieng played in 39 games during his rookie year, averaging 4.9 points and 2.7 rebounds.
His minutes decreased in each of the next two seasons as the Thunder added more depth, and Dieng couldn't carve out a big enough role for himself on a team that eventually went on to win the NBA Championship in 2025.
Dieng found himself as the odd man out at the NBA trade deadline, and the Thunder moved him to the Charlotte Hornets, who moved him to the Chicago Bulls, who moved him to the Bucks.
Finding An Opportunity
Milwaukee has been a team in search of an identity all season, especially with Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup.
The team is not only evaluating options for the rest of this season, but they are also looking for players who can potentially contribute, either alongside Giannis or in place of him, next season.
Dieng is still just 22 years old, and while he may not have a ton of minutes played on the court, he had three full seasons of experience on a team that went from a play-in squad to NBA champions in those three years.
In just three games with Milwaukee, Dieng is averaging 12.7 points, five rebounds, two assists, and 1.3 blocks. He's also shooting 50% from three.
The sample size is small, but Dieng has always shown the talent to be a contributor at the NBA level.
He may now be a big part of Milwaukee's future.