New York Knicks Trade Ousmane Dieng To The Oklahoma City Thunder For Three First Round Picks

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Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks have had a very active night for the 2022 NBA Draft. The only problem is that they haven’t drafted any players and kept them on their team so far. It started with the Knicks selecting 19-year-old forward Ousmane Dieng from France, one of the highest potential players in the Draft, and trading him away to the Oklahoma City Thunder.

The Knicks have received a gaggle of protected first-round picks from the Thunder for the same. OKC has sent over three 2023 first-round picks that include a protected 1st rounder via Detroit, a protected 1st rounder via Washington, and a protected 1st rounder via Denver. 

The Knicks have clearly loaded up on trade assets and cleared salary cap space for this off-season by moving on from all their draft picks. The Knicks also traded for Jalen Duren to use him as trade bait for the Detroit Pistons so that they could offload the Kemba Walker contract. These moves are being made due to the Knicks’ interest in Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson this off-season. 

Dieng has an extremely high upside in the league and one can tell that OKC values him. This is the first trade where the Thunder have actively given away first-round picks since they began their rebuild in 2019 with the Russell Westbrook trade. 

Adding Dieng, Chet Holmgren, and Jaylen Williams shows that the Thunder are not afraid to get as many actual players on their team to evaluate which ones have the most potential. 

The Knicks should be worried if they fail to entice Brunson away from the Mavericks, as the Mavs have already expressed their intention to offer Jalen more money than any other team. Since Brunson is an unrestricted free agent, the Mavs have no matching rights on his contract. Even if the Knicks miss on Brunson, they are equipped with cap flexibility and picks for the future.  

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Ishaan Bhattacharya is a content manager for Fadeaway World from New Delhi, India. With his expertise in NBA content creation, Ishaan brings a wealth of experience to his role, contributing to the site's authority and reach within the basketball community. Over the last year, Ishaan has interviewed Ray Allen and Mark Tatum, while also covering the 2023 NBA Abu Dhabi Games which saw the Dallas Mavericks take on the Minnesota Timberwolves.Since joining Fadeaway World in March 2022, Ishaan Bhattacharya has become known for his unique perspective on the NBA. He consistently delivers this insight through his daily news coverage and detailed opinion pieces on the most significant topics in the league.Before his tenure at Fadeaway World, Ishaan worked in corporate communications, where he serviced prominent sports brands, including NBA India, Sports18, Amazon Prime Sports, and Royal Challengers Bangalore. This experience in strategic communications for leading sports entities has enhanced his ability to craft impactful narratives and connect with a global audience.A true MFFLer (Mavs Fan for Life, for the uninitiated), Ishaan is a massive fan of the Dallas Mavericks. When he is not upset about Jalen Brunson walking in free agency, you can see Ishaan as an avid gamer and content creator. His passion for basketball extends beyond the Mavericks, as evidenced by his thoughtfully curated NBA Mount Rushmore, featuring LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell—each representing distinct eras and bringing their unique qualities to the game.Featured On: ESPN, Sports Illustrated, Bleacher ReportYahoo Sports, NBA, Fox Sports, The Spun
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