Oklahoma City bet big on Ousmane Dieng. Now, with contender status, was the steep draft-night price truly worth the gamble?
With the trade deadline approaching, it’s becoming increasingly likely that Ousmane Dieng’s time in Oklahoma City could be nearing its end. If that happens, it will naturally reopen one of the more fascinating debates of the Thunder’s rebuild: the decision to trade three first round picks to move up to No. 11 in the 2022 NBA Draft to select Dieng.
At the time, it was a bold swing rooted in upside, patience, and long term vision. Now, with the Thunder firmly in win now territory, it’s fair to revisit whether that price was ultimately worth it.
When the Thunder targeted Dieng, they knew exactly what they were getting into. He was one of the rawest prospects in the draft, a 6’10” wing with guard skills, flashes of shot creation, and defensive versatility, but also inconsistent production and a clear need for development time.
The organization never expected Dieng to contribute meaningful NBA minutes right away. This was a long play, built around the idea that Oklahoma City had the runway to be patient.
What the Thunder couldn’t fully account for was just how quickly everything else would accelerate. Jalen Williams immediately looked like a foundational piece as a rookie. Chet Holmgren missed his first season but returned as a borderline star level defender and offensive hub almost instantly.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ascended into MVP conversations. The timeline sped up dramatically, and with that came real expectations, playoff runs, contention, and eventually championships. In that environment, developmental minutes became harder and harder to come by.
Dieng has shown promise though. The tools are still tantalizing: his length, fluidity, and defensive instincts pop in flashes. There have been games where you can see why the Thunder were so intrigued.
But flashes aren’t enough on a roster this deep. With Oklahoma City prioritizing winning, carving out consistent minutes for a still developing forward has been a challenge, especially when there are proven contributors ahead of him in the rotation.
That brings us to the cost. The Thunder sent three first round picks to the Knicks in the 2022 draft night deal, picks that ultimately tied back to the 2023 draft and beyond. New York used one of those picks along with Kemba Walker to clear cap space that night. Another was later used as part of the trade that brought Karl-Anthony Towns to New York. The final pick hasn’t conveyed yet and has since become a top 10 protected first rounder in 2026.
So far, those picks have resulted in Nick Smith Jr., Joan Beringer, and a future 2026 top 10 protected selection. Two of the picks were lottery protected, one was top 18 protected, so there was always some uncertainty baked in.
There’s no guarantee the Thunder would’ve used all three picks themselves, or that they would’ve landed difference makers. Still, it’s hard not to look at the names drafted shortly after the lottery in 2023. Keyonte George, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Ben Sheppard, Brice Sensabaugh, Toumani Camara, GG Jackson, Jaylen Clark, and Trayce Jackson-Davis were all drafted post lottery.
None of those players have had truly stellar careers so far, outside of Camara emerging as an All-NBA defender. But several of them would undeniably fit the Thunder’s system, particularly given Oklahoma City’s emphasis on defense, ball movement, and versatility.
Looking back, it’s hard to escape the conclusion that three first round picks was probably too steep a price for what Dieng has given the Thunder to this point. The logic behind the move made sense at the time.
The execution of the rebuild just moved faster than anyone anticipated. And in the NBA, timing matters. Who knows what even one of those picks could have turned into though, and that uncertainty is what makes this trade worth revisiting now.