The Milwaukee Bucks have declined to tender a qualifying offer to Ousmane Dieng, making the 23-year-old forward an unrestricted free agent, according to NBA insider Michael Scotto. Despite the decision, Scotto added that Milwaukee has significant interest in bringing Dieng back once free agency opens.
Declining the qualifying offer allows the Bucks to avoid locking in a restricted free agency cap hold while giving both sides more flexibility to negotiate a new contract. Rather than retaining matching rights, Milwaukee will now compete with the rest of the league if another team pursues Dieng.
The move comes after Dieng showed the most productive stretch of his four-year NBA career following his midseason trade from the Oklahoma City Thunder. In 30 games with Milwaukee, including 20 starts, he averaged 11.0 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.6 assists in 26.8 minutes per game while shooting 42.3% from the field and 33.1% from three-point range.
Dieng’s expanded role represented a significant jump from his time in Oklahoma City. Before the trade, he averaged just 3.7 points, 1.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 10.9 minutes across 27 appearances for the Thunder. The increased opportunity in Milwaukee allowed the former lottery pick to showcase his playmaking ability and positional versatility.
For the full 2025-26 season, Dieng appeared in 57 games between the Thunder and Bucks, averaging 7.6 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 19.3 minutes per contest. His Milwaukee production nearly doubled his career scoring average of 5.4 points while also setting personal bests in rebounds, assists and minutes.
The decision is part of a pivotal offseason for the Bucks following a disappointing 32-50 campaign that left them 11th in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee hired Taylor Jenkins as head coach in April before committing to a franchise reset by trading Giannis Antetokounmpo to the Miami Heat in exchange for Tyler Herro, Kel’el Ware, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kasparas Jakucionis and a substantial package of draft assets.
The Bucks also added two first-round selections in last week’s NBA Draft, selecting Brayden Burries with the No. 10 overall pick and Nate Ament at No. 13 after acquiring Miami’s selection in the Antetokounmpo trade. Those additions further reinforced the organization’s youth movement.
