An improbable situation. NBA champion last season with Oklahoma City, Ousmane Dieng left the Thunder this Wednesday, February 4. Problem: the 22-year-old Frenchman’s new destination changed twice in… 30 minutes.
Journalist specializing in trades, these exchanges directly negotiated by the franchises without going through the players, Shams Charania first announced it to Charlotte before sending it to Chicago. “The Hornets picked up Ousmane Dieng and a second round draft pick from OKC against Mason Plumlee, and sent Dieng to Chicago in a larger exchange,” detailed the ESPN journalist in a post published on X on Wednesday evening.
After his brief stint in Charlotte, the French winger will try to settle down permanently in Illinois. Landed in the NBA as the 11th choice in the draft in 2022, the native of Villeneuve-sur-Lot never managed to establish himself in OKC, held back by competition from the strong trio composed of Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. He will nevertheless leave with a champion ring and a lot of experience gained.
End of contract in summer 2026
Ousmane Dieng, who participated in 27 games this season for 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.9 minutes on average, will quickly have to prove himself with the Bulls, his rookie contract ending in the summer of 2026. His future in the NBA is therefore unclear.
To win in the 10th in the Eastern Conference, Dieng will have to make his mark in a franchise turned upside down by the departures of Coby White, who left for Charlotte as part of the exchange with the Frenchman, Nikola Vucevic (Boston) and Kevin Huerter (Detroit). In the opposite direction, Anfernee Simons, Collin Sexton and Mike Conley have just arrived.
