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The Oklahoma City Thunder are currently the top seed in the Western Conference and looking like the top title contender in the West. Even with the injury to Chet Holmgren, the Thunder have not missed a beat.
They are 24-5 and 3.5 games ahead of the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies. In the weeks leading up to the NBA trade deadline, the Thunder don’t really have much to worry about, but they do have a player or two they must trade by then.
Behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, the Thunder are the overwhelming favorites in the West to reach the NBA Finals. The two-time All-Star and MVP candidate is arguably the top young player in the league.
Holmgren is also part of the Thunder’s young core and arguably their second-best player, but it’s encouraging that the team has continued to win despite Holmgren’s absence. It just reinforces how much depth this team has and how talented they are.
The Thunder certainly do not need to make any moves at the NBA trade deadline. They have enough on the roster to contend for a championship. Maybe if they could snag a minor bench scorer or additional center depth, they could pull off a minor move to try and upgrade the team. Otherwise, this team is good as is.
But in order to help consolidate some of their depth, the Thunder do still have a player they must trade by the deadline.
Thunder must move Ousmane Dieng by trade deadline
One of the issues a young team can run into is having too much depth and too many young players vying for minutes. That’s not necessarily a bad thing. But as rotations become set and the core group identified, it becomes in the best interest of both parties for a move.
When the Thunder drafted Ousmane Dieng with the No. 11 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, he was thought to be a part of the their future core. He was a project and he’s raw, but he’s had flashes where the talent is apparent.
Last season, Dieng won the G League Finals MVP. He finished with 25 points, six rebounds, four assists, and two blocked shots as the Oklahoma City Blue won the G League title.
A big reason why Dieng has been behind the eight-ball this season though has been an early injury he suffered back in November. He has since returned though. After back-to-back solid stints in the G League during 2022-23 and 2023-24, Dieng will likely get an opportunity to get back to game speed with the Blue.
But with the Thunder having their sights set on contending for a title, the development minutes for Dieng are just not there. Priorities shift when a team is in championship mode and young players often get squeezed out.
Across two seasons in the G League, Dieng has averaged 17.2 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 5.2 assists while shooting 47.5 percent from the field. The talent is there. It just likely won’t be realized while on the Thunder.
Dieng is still only 21 years old, and the Thunder exercised his contract option for next season. But as long as the Thunder are looking to contend for a title, it’s hard to envision Dieng being able to crack the rotation. The opportunity is just not there anymore.
That’s why, before the NBA trade deadline, the Thunder must trade Dieng in a small, cost-cutting move and allow him the opportunity to develop on a team better suited for him.
