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On the cusp of a busy NBA offseason, the Oklahoma City Thunder could see some notable roster changes for the first time in a couple of summers. Falling short of their back-to-back ambitions, it's time to shake up the roster as changes are inevitable in this industry.
Some departures might hurt more than others — at least from a sentimental perspective. Reading the tea leaves, it looks like the Thunder and Lu Dort are heading their separate ways in the coming weeks. The 27-year-old has spent his first seven seasons in OKC. He's tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for longest-tenured player.
Zooming out, Dort is one of OKC's best developmental success stories. He went from an undrafted rookie to an NBA champion starter. Along the way, he became one of the league's best perimeter defenders. Last season, though, he regressed on both sides of the ball. The defense wasn't as sharp and the outside shooting crashed back down to Earth.
As the year went on, Dort's playing time dwindled. And with Cason Wallace pounding on the door for both a contract raise and a graduation to a full-time starter, it makes all the sense in the world for the Thunder to move on from the former to get behind the latter.
Still, that doesn't mean an exit won't hurt. Dort is a fan favorite. He's one of Gilgeous-Alexander's close friends. He's also had a firsthand experience of seeing the Thunder go from a rebuild to an NBA champion. Always tough to see someone go who's had their best NBA moments in OKC.
That said, the Thunder collaborate with Dort to find him a new NBA home. According to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto, a couple of teams have already perked their ears at potentially acquiring him. One is a contender that is hoping to beat OKC. Another is a rebuilding situation that hopes his experience helps their young roster.
"Dort has a team option for $17.22 million for the upcoming season that several front executives who spoke with HoopsHype are projecting the Thunder to exercise, then consider flipping Dort on the trade market," Scotto wrote. "Should such a scenario happen, Dort has been linked with the Lakers and several other teams. It’s worth noting that Brooklyn Nets head coach Jordi Fernandez coached Dort with the Canadian National Team."
That's interesting. Think we've all thought the Lakers would make the most sense for Dort. Especially when he switched to Klutch midway through the season. Luka Doncic called him one of the top defenders a while ago. I will say, though, if he gets traded and not signed to a contract extension by his new team, that'd be a little surprising.
The Nets are a new idea. They're in a rebuild. On a team filled with guys in the infancy stages of their careers, he'd be a benefit. Brooklyn hasn't really gone the veteran presence approach yet in its rebuild. Perhaps it's changing its tune after tanking the last handful of years.
We'll see how things play out. But it feels like the Thunder and Dort are on their way to a fresh start. Such is life in the NBA.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Rumor: These 2 NBA teams could trade for Lu Dort
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