Dieng was selected by the Knicks with the 11th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft and subsequently traded to the Thunder for three conditional first-round picks, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Dieng was initially announced as the Knicks’ selection, but it was quickly clarified that he’ll, in fact, head to the Thunder, who reportedly gave up multiple first-rounders to move up and select the 19-year-old forward. Dieng spent last season with the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL Australia, where he posted 8.9 points, 3.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.9 combined steals/blocks in 20.3 minutes per game. He’ll join Chet Holmgren, as well as No. 12 overall pick Jalen Williams, on a developing Thunder roster that continues to stockpile young talent. At some point, the Thunder will shift toward attempting to contend, but given the age of its core, OKC will likely be headed for another rebuilding season in 2022-23. With that in mind, Dieng should be able to carve out some opportunities off the bench, but he’s ultimately viewed as a developmental prospect.
