OKC Acquires Ousmane Dieng in Trade with New York

The New York Knicks selected Ousmane Dieng with the 11th pick in the NBA draft.

But Thunder GM Sam Presti was not about to let Dieng go that easy.

Oklahoma City traded three 2023 protected first round picks (via Denver, Washington and Detroit) to the Knicks in return for this young, raw talent.

Gotta hand it to Presti, the man always has his eyes on potential from across the seas.

Dieng is from New Zealand, neighboring Thunder star Josh Giddey who originated from Australia. Similar to Giddey, Dieng has good passing vision. He can spot cutters and zip jump passes over defenses. Dieng’s best ability is his ball-handling. Using low crossovers and hesitations, Dieng can string a series of moves to beat guards off the dribble. Athletically inclined, he has a quick first step which allows him to blow by opponents.

His length and quickness projects him to be a versatile defender. Sometimes in the wrong position, he has the potential to be an effective help-side defender if he improves his awareness.

Another facet of his game that will certainly need to develop is his efficiency from deep. Only finishing 21.3 percent of his attempts from behind the arc, there is an instant need for his shot to improve.

Yet as a six-foot-ten 19 year old, Dieng displays the profile to be moldable.

Only time will tell if giving away future assets was worth the risk on Dieng.