The Oklahoma City Thunder have needed to go deep into their bench recently. They are dealing with a number of injuries across the roster, and they have reached the portion of the regular season where otherwise sidelined players need to step up.
Against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday, they were missing Jalen Williams, Alex Caruso, Isaiah Hartenstein, and Aaron Wiggins. Ajay Mitchell was sidelined with a hip contusion late in the third quarter.
The Thunder won in dominant fashion, and they were supplemented by extensive minutes from Brooks Barnhizer (who played 13) and Branden Carlson (who played 16). These players average 7.9 and 11.1 minutes per game, respectively.
Ousmane Dieng, however, played just a minute and a half in Oklahoma City's victory, grabbing one rebound and missing his singular field goal attempt.
With Dieng's restricted free agency looming, this stretch could be his final chance to prove he should stay with the organization. With this latest slight, though, the Thunder made their stance on him crystal clear.
Ousmane Dieng has virtually no chance to crack the rotation, and the end of his time with the Thunder is near
Dieng is one of Oklahoma City's rare draft busts from their recent stretch of organizational success. He was drafted 11th overall in the 2022 NBA Draft, and he has played in just 130 games through his four seasons with the team.
At the time of the draft, many scouts thought he possessed a skill-set with impressive upside. At 6'9", he had remarkable ball-handling and passing abilities for a player of his height.
However, that has not panned out with the Thunder. Dieng's minutes have steadily decreased since his rookie season.
This is partly a result of Oklahoma City's sheer rotational depth and championship aspirations during this time. It is also, however, an indictment upon Dieng's inability to establish himself among the team's young core.
It's not as though Dieng has been completely sidelined this season. He's played upwards of 20 minutes three separate times, each in blowout wins for the Thunder.
However, the team needs all hands on deck for this next stretch, and Daigneault's decision to keep Dieng sidelined is a clear indication of his place in the team's hierarchy.
He will be a restricted free agent this offseason. Given the financial decisions Oklahoma City will need to make, it's hard to imagine him being back for next season.
If he continues to be sidelined over the next couple of weeks, this will prove to be Dieng's brutal reality.