In a season with more lows than highs, Ousmane Dieng was one of the bright spots that kept Milwaukee Bucks fans coming back. The 23-year-old forward from France was rerouted to Milwaukee at the 2026 trade deadline in what was essentially a salary dump by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Thrust into a significant role for a team fighting to get back into the Playoff picture, Dieng averaged 11 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game in 30 outings with the Bucks. Making the most of his opportunity, Dieng set single-game career-highs in every major statistical category, including points (36), rebounds (11), assists (12), steals (4) and blocks (4).
A restricted free agent this summer, Dieng is undoubtedly part of the Milwaukee Bucks plans, regardless of what happens with Giannis Antetokounmpo. That made it all the more interesting to see him working out with one of the top lottery prospects in this year's draft class on social media.
Ousmane Dieng links up with NBL alum, Karim López, ahead of the NBA Draft. But what does that mean for the Milwaukee Bucks?
Dieng and 19-year-old NBL phenom, Karim López, are both represented by Marius Rutkauskas, who recently posted a video of them working out together on Instagram. The video shows the two young talents in a 2-on-2 drill as Dieng finds a cutting Lopez for a spectacular slam dunk. Obviously, this doesn't guarantee anything about Lopez's future and the possibility of landing in Milwaukee.
However, it does give Bucks fans a glimmer of hope that the team already has a connection to one of the most intriguing prospects of this year's draft class. A 6-foot-9 forward with unique ball-handling skills and a knack for attacking the basket, Lopez is a clear fit for a Bucks roster still looking for answers at his position.
Adding Lopez at the 10th pick while retaining Dieng on a team-friendly long-term deal would mark excellent progress in filling the gap at the team's biggest position of need. Lopez averaged nearly 12 points, six rebounds, two assists, a steal and a block per game for the New Zealand Breakers as part of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL)'s Next Stars program.
His ability to navigate space, find creative lanes to the basket and leverage his physical advantages on the basketball court make him an intriguing option for the Bucks at No. 10. He is projected to fall anywhere between the 7th and 13th picks in this year's draft, which speaks volumes about the depth of this year's class. Someone with Lopez's combination of talent and size could easily go higher in a less crowded talent pool.
Milwaukee still has a month to evaluate talent, but it seems like Lopez has been on the Bucks' radar for some time now. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel beat reporter Jim Owczarski reported earlier this month that the Bucks have either spoken to or met with Lopez as part of the pre-draft process.
If the stars align and Milwaukee drafts Lopez with the 10th pick, it would quickly become one of the franchise's best draft selections in years. Here's to hoping that he's still available for them when the Bucks are on the clock next month.
Add us as a preferred source on Google