The once exciting Ousmane Dieng experiment has clearly failed to materialize throughout his three-year tenure with the OKC Thunder.
Since being selected 10 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, the forward has regularly split his time between the varsity team and G League, steadily seen his minutes and usage drop with every passing season, and has now undeniably been overshadowed by his fellow teammates and classmates Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren following their recent max rookie extensions.
Only 22 years old, the raw-talent Frenchman still has time to potentially find his footing in the association should he fall into the right situation on the right team.
Unfortunately for both him and Oklahoma City, however, the defending champions don't look capable of providing him either.
Sadly, this has been the case for the last two years now, though, despite public pleas from the fanbase, GM Sam Presti has seemingly been a tad reluctant to part ways with his former lottery pick.
Now, while there appears to be no evidence that the Thunder front office is even considering shifting mindsets on this aforementioned hesitancy ahead of the 2025-26 campaign, should Brooks Barnhizer find a way to sustain the level he's currently producing at this offseason, it may be only a matter of time before they do.
Brooks Barnhizer could be threat to Ousmane Dieng's Thunder tenure
Generally speaking, second-round draft picks aren't necessarily viewed as having serious difference-maker potential in the NBA.
That said, over the years, the Thunder have managed to find a surprising number of late-selected talents who have gone on to play key roles within the team's rotation, some of whom even logged significant minutes during their 2025 title run.
Though it's only Summer League, one could already make the case that OKC may have added yet another second-round hidden gem to their impressive collection.
The 44 pick in this past June's draft, Barnhizer has been nothing short of an all-around energizer bunny and workhorse for the Thunder, proving himself capable of making a sizeable impact on both ends of the floor.
Through five total games played between the Salt Lake City and Las Vegas-hosted exhibitions, the 23-year-old finds himself averaging 9.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and a whopping 3.6 steals on 50.0 percent shooting from the floor.
Following a 19-point win over the Indiana Pacers this past Saturday, one where the wing dropped 17 points, 5 rebounds, 6 steals, and a block on 80.0 percent shooting from the floor and 50.0 percent shooting from deep, Barnhizer also became the first player in NBA Summer League history to record six or more steals in consecutive contests.
Beyond the on-court successes, however, what makes the Northwestern product's breakout all the more encouraging is his off-court mantras of continuing to improve his game not just for himself but for the organization and their fanbase as well, even recently stating that he strives to keep trying to be that player that they love to see and competing everyday.”
Obviously, even with all the recent hype surrounding the rookie, it's clear from watching him play that there's still plenty of room for growth in his game -- specifically in his long-range jumper (boasting just a 28.6 percent conversion rate) and ball handling.
Nevertheless, with his vocalized eagerness to get better and visualized drive to give 100 percent effort when on the floor, Brooks Barnhizer seems to have the mindset (and swagger) necessary to become one more second-round success story for the Thunder organization.
Should he end up following in the footsteps of some of his recent processors (Aaron Wiggins, Ajay Mitchell, etc.) en route to a standard, full-scale deal amid his first-year with the club, being they have 15 players locked into standard contracts already, tough decisions on player departures would need to be made.
By the looks of things, Ousmane Dieng would be the obvious choice to receive the boot.