Ousmane Dieng would be an ideal draft pick for the Toronto Raptors

The Toronto Raptors parted ways with their 2022 first-round pick in exchange for Thad Young, providing much-needed depth to the roster. The trade has paid off, as Toronto jumped into the No. 5 seed and is gearing up to make a deep run. That hasn’t stopped Masai Ujiri from getting his NBA Draft plans finalized.

It’s no secret that the front office has prioritized 6-8 versatile forwards, and Ujiri will do whatever it takes to add a prospect like this in the draft. Enter Ousmane Dieng. At just 18 years old, the 6-9, 185-pound French wing would fit right into this Raptors team.

Dieng left his native France and joined the New Zealand Breakers of the NBL this past season. The results were not as encouraging as many were hoping, but he still did enough to warrant consideration as a potential second-round pick. Luckily, Toronto has the capital to spend on him.

Dieng has a rare combination of athleticism, ball-handling, and scoring ability at his size that would surely get a team to take a swing on him. The Raptors are currently set to pick at No. 33 by virtue of owning the Pistons’ second-round pick, putting them in range to take a chance on Dieng.

NBA Draft: The Toronto Raptors should take a swing on Ousmane Dieng

Calling Dieng a raw prospect would be a heavy understatement. He has a very skinny frame, and his actual play could take a season or two to get up to NBA level. However, his upside may just be worth it for Ujiri, who hasn’t shied away from these kinds of prospects in the past.

Dieng is a very good ball-handler for his size and even handled point-guard duties at times. He is a very confident shooter that has shown the potential to evolve into a three-level scorer with some refinement. Scouts have gloated on his sweet-looking jumper that could translate to the NBA.

On defense, he’s going to struggle until he adds some weight. That shouldn’t deter teams from selecting him, as his potential is very enticing on that end given his mobility.

Despite his sweet-looking jumper, it hasn’t exactly made his numbers look great. Dieng is averaging 9.1 points per game while shooting 39% from the field, and just 27% from 3. However, Dieng is averaging 16.4 points per game on 56% shooting in his last five outings. Perhaps it just took him a while to get comfortable.

Toronto is the perfect place for raw prospects like Dieng to develop. Coming out of Florida State, Scottie Barnes was seen as a defensive monster who could take years to develop offensively. Since being drafted by the Raptors, Barnes has quickly put those concerns to bed.

There is no guarantee that Dieng could reach his ceiling under Toronto’s developmental staff, but it’s hard to count them out given their track record. If Dieng can reach the ceiling that scouts believe he has, this could be seen as one of the biggest steals in the draft.