While the Thunder are focusing on the Summer League and developing their young talent, they also went on a spending spree this summer, extending key players on their team. First, they signed rotational players Jaylin Williams and Ajay Mitchell to extensions. Then they locked down their big three by giving out $822 million to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, and Chet Holmgren. They prioritized locking down their core players to build on their Championship win from this year. The Thunder will eventually feel the effects of these extensions, but they still must find a way to keep their defensive guard, Lu Dort.
When Dort joined the Thunder in 2019, he made a name for himself with his incredible physical defense and relentlessness at the point of attack. Over the years, he has developed his offensive game and has become a lethal three-point shooter. Dort has a team option for the 2026-2027 season, and if it’s not picked up, he will become a free agent. While the Thunder have already spent a ton of money, they will feel the effects of the 2nd apron in the future, and will be forced to let people go. The Thunder’s next person they must prioritize and keep is Lu Dort, their defensive guard, even if that means letting go of other key players.
The Thunder Must Find a Way to Keep Their Defensive Guard
Why The Thunder Must Keep Lu Dort
Lu Dort has been a valuable player ever since he got to Oklahoma. His defensive impact has been huge every year and in the last two playoff runs. He sets the tone for their defense, and he has become the identity the Thunder want to have on defense: physicality. While you can point to a ton of reasons why the Thunder must keep Dort. There are four major key ones. The first is his age, as he is 26 years old and still has a good 10 years of high-level defense, and can still improve on offense. The second reason is that he tied for the longest tenure player for the Thunder. This quality is important for the Thunder as they have prioritized growing and developing home-grown talent and keeping them. In addition, he has insane chemistry with the other three starters the Thunder just extended.
The third reason is his defensive ability. The physicality, relentless nature, and being able to draw offensive fouls aren’t easily replaceable. Trying to find another Lu Dort in the draft will be extremely hard. The fourth and final reason is that he is a true three-and-D guard/wing. Some players are either really good shooters and can’t play defense, or can guard but struggle to hit consistent shots. Dort is both, as he was just named to the All-Defensive First Team while shooting 41.2% from three. The only thing he has to get better at is being a tad bit more consistent, where he doesn’t have too many prolonged cold shooting nights.
Why The Thunder Must Let Go of Other Players
The Thunder aren’t going to keep everyone, and with how their offseason has gone, they have set themselves up to lose quality players in the future. While they won’t feel the effects of the second apron yet, they will eventually. Let’s break it down. They re-signed their big three all to max deals. Then, they re-signed quality bench players on cheap deals over the last two years: Isaiah Joe, Aaron Wiggins, Jaylin Williams, and Ajay Mitchell. That leaves Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Isaiah Hartenstein, Kenrich Williams, and Alex Caruso as five players the Thunder might be forced to let go and might only be able to keep one.
Now the question is, why keep Lu Dort instead of the other players? First, Kenrich Williams should stay and sign a very team-friendly deal as it won’t cost much to keep him. Next, the Thunder already have a replacement for Hartenstein with their first-round pick, Thomas Sorber. That leaves the Thunder with their three defensive stars, and they might only be able to retain one of them. Caruso is on the older side and will be 32 next year. The Thunder could recoup good draft assets in return while his value is still high and free up that $20 million. While Cason Wallace is younger and offers more upside than Dort, the qualities that Dort possesses are slightly harder to replace than Wallace’s. While there is a chance the Thunder can keep both, it just depends on how much Wallace wants.
Thunder Putting More Efforts on the Draft
With the contract extensions the Thunder have put out there already, they have put an even more significant focus on the draft. This might have been Sam Presti’s plan all along when he kept getting as many draft picks as possible. The Thunder must figure out who will be harder to replace in the draft and keep them. While letting go of the players, they can easily find replacements in the draft. The Thunder’s ability to do this successfully or not will determine how long they can compete for titles, not to mention maintaining three max deals in the era of 1st and 2nd aprons. If the Thunder are successful in the approach, more teams will start to follow in the future.
The Last Word on the Thunder and Lu Dort
Lu Dort has been an extremely valuable player for the Thunder in the last six years. He is just as valuable to the Thunder as their big three and what they bring to the table. The Thunder must find a way to maintain him, even if that means letting other players go. The skills he brings and the qualities he has aren’t easy to find and replace. Finally, as long as the Thunder have their big three and Dort, they can compete with anyone. This will allow them to be a title contender for the next decade and a chance to become the next dynasty in the NBA.
© Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
The post The Thunder Must Find a Way to Keep Their Defensive Guard appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.