- Joined
- May 8, 2002
- Posts
- 1,190,400
- Reaction score
- 59
You must be registered for see images attach
Continuing their offseason homework, the Oklahoma City Thunder crossed off an item on their to-do list this past Monday. They picked up Lu Dort's $17.7 million team option for the 2026-27 season. Now, before you pop off the champagne that the longtime starter is back, let's carefully review things.
Just because the Thunder picked up Dort's option doesn't mean he'll be back for next year. There's still plenty of summer left for both sides to figure something out. The 27-year-old is hoping to bounce back from a career-worst year. His outside shot wasn't as reliable and his one-on-one defense dulled out.
Dort averaged 8.3 points on 38.5% shooting, 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists this past season. By the end of the NBA playoffs, his playing time had dwindled to nearly zero. For the most part, he was a nonfactor.
All OKC's decision to pick up Dort's option did was buy both sides more time on its next move. Here are three options they could take:
1. Play out final year
Before jumping in, I'll add the caveat that this feels like the least likely of the three. The Thunder simply don't just let players walk in free agency. The savvy, forward-thinking front office always prefers flipping expiring assets for trade packages. That said, OKC and Dort could just run it back for one final time.
The Thunder are in a championship window. That remains true as long as Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is in uniform. Perhaps the best odds of maximizing next year's title odds are by simply running it back with mostly the same roster that went 64-18 in the regular season and finished five wins shy of going back-to-back.
Under that approach, just letting things play out with Dort could be beneficial. The Thunder aren't required to go into a long-term commitment with him. And he has to ball out to get another payday as he enters a contract year. Perhaps that motivation would be enough to see him return to his usual high-end self.
2. Find a trade
This one still makes the most sense. Even after the Thunder picked up Dort's option, the rumors remained loud. All OKC did was guarantee next year's salary. Now, he's essentially a one-year rental if he changes teams. Could make him even more enticing to add — as opposing teams would have no long-term commitment to him that could affect their future payroll.
While it makes sense for the Thunder to move on from Dort, there should be a line of contenders who'd love to add him. The Los Angeles Lakers are the popular choice. It wasn't that long ago when Luka Doncic called him one of the best defenders in the world. They desperately need a point-of-attack guy. The Brooklyn Nets also make sense. Especially if OKC is determined to trade him to the East — ala Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins. There's the Jordi Fernandez connection there. And the one-time NBA champion could be a solid veteran presence.
Think Dort's trade market remains the same — even after the Thunder picked up his option. All that did was buy a little more time to conjure up a trade. Even with his down year, he should still be worth positive value as a buy-low candidate.
3. Extend him
This seems the most far-fetched of them all. The Thunder and Dort could simply negotiate a new contract extension. He's been eligible to sign one since last summer. Maybe now is the time to really figure something out that makes sense for both sides. After all, he's super close to Gilgeous-Alexander and has seen OKC go from a rebuild to an NBA champion firsthand.
That said, it feels like if that was going to happen, it would've happened already. A Dort extension would be a pretty consequential domino effect. You can say goodbye to Cason Wallace at that point. And maybe even Ajay Mitchell in the future — depending on what the salary figures would be. It just doesn't make financial or basketball sense to extend this marriage.
This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: What's next for OKC Thunder, Lu Dort? Examining 3 options
Continue reading...
