The top of the 2022 NBA Draft was did not include wave after wave of big trades like some predicted. Instead, teams held onto their picks, right up until the New York Knicks came on the board at No. 11. While there, the Knicks decided to take Ousmane Dieng, a 19-year-old forward from France who spent last year playing for the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL.
And then, we got our first trade of the night, as the Knicks reportedly struck a deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder. Dieng, according to reports, was sent to the Thunder for a package that included multiple first round picks.
The Thunder will send multiple first-round picks to New York, per source. https://t.co/kXfkvJDKbI
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 24, 2022
Despite this, the Knicks were unable to acquire the pick immediately following their own — Oklahoma City boasted the 12th pick and used it on Santa Clara guard Jalen Williams. It is unclear exactly which picks the Knicks were able to acquire in this deal, but the Thunder have spent the last few years building up quite the war chest of picks, so several first rounders is assuredly not too high of a price for them to pay.
For the Thunder, Dieng and Williams are their second and third players acquired on Thursday evening along with No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren.