Barely a week after the Thunder cut him loose, Ousmane Dieng showed up against his former teammates on their home floor and had the game of his life.
His 19 points, 11 rebounds, six assists, and four blocks led the Milwaukee Bucks to a convincing victory in just his third game with the team. Dieng's performance also sent a clear message to the franchise that drafted him, where he won a championship last season but never cracked the rotation: all he needed was a chance.
Outcast in OKC, Dieng has been an instant hit in larger role for Bucks
The Thunder took Dieng 11th overall in the 2022 draft, investing in a stretch big who can also play the wing. In his four seasons in Oklahoma City, he never topped his playing time as a rookie: 39 games at 14.6 minutes per contest. The Thunder elected to end the experiment at the 2026 trade deadline, effectively dumping Dieng to create roster space.
He has been a revelation in Milwaukee. It's only been two real games, one against the Thunder and a 17-point outing in Orlando, but Dieng has taken the Bucks' tentative hopes and shot them skyward. What was labeled a low-profile flyer on upside looks like a potentially transformative force for the remainder of Milwaukee's season.
He didn't come out firing Thursday night like he did against the Magic, but Dieng made his presence felt out of the gate.
Inserted into the starting five due to a late scratch for Myles Turner, he contributed six rebounds and three assists in his first shift alone. Dieng started ringing it up after that, scoring 16 of his points between the second and third quarter to help front the Bucks a comfortable lead. He followed up his previous 5-for-8 showing beyond the arc by going 3-for-6 versus the Thunder.
For the Bucks, Dieng has been more than just a frontcourt floor-spacer. He brings energy on both ends of the floor. His length and versatility play up defensively. He's showcased surprising skills as a playmaker. It's more than the Bucks expected. Where did those four blocks and six dimes come from? Dieng never averaged more than 0.3 rejections and 1.2 assists in a season for the Thunder.
Obviously, they won't expect that type of performance every night, but is it possible that simply giving him an opportunity could unlock aspects of Dieng's game buried in Oklahoma City?
In Milwaukee, he has set career scoring highs in consecutive games. The Bucks gave him just the third start of his career and his first of the season. He saw 23 minutes in the last game and 36 minutes on Thursday - more than triple his nightly average this season with the Thunder.
That kind of rope might not be a regular occurrence, but on the other hand, why shouldn't it be? Is Dieng the roster's closest thing to a small forward? Regardless of the Bucks' injury situation moving forward, he should have plenty of chances. He didn't have much of a shot in the defending champs' stacked rotation, but he just showed them what can happen when he does.