The Thunder have guaranteed the final two years of Luguentz Dort‘s four-year contract, locking him up through the 2022/23 season, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweets. The standout second-year wing will earn $1,782,621 in the 2021/22 season and $1,930,681 in the final year of his deal, 2022/23.
After going undrafted in 2019 out of Arizona State, Dort began his NBA career as a two-way player. His staunch defense and athleticism help him earn his way into the rotation for a playoff-bound Thunder club last season, and he was eventually promoted to a permanent role with the team. Oklahoma City inked him to a four-year, $5.4MM deal about a month before the 2019/20 season’s resumption in the Orlando “bubble.”
The 6’3″ wing has started every game of his second NBA season during 2020/21, and is averaging 29.7 MPG for Oklahoma City during a rebuilding year for the franchise. The 21-year-old is averaging 12.4 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 1.6 APG.
With a 17-23 record, the Thunder are actually a mere two games behind the Grizzlies for a chance to partake in the NBA’s play-in tournament as the No. 10 seed in the West.
Oklahoma City appears satisfied to stay out of the playoffs this season, as the team remains in asset-accrual mode — the Thunder added a 2027 second-round draft pick today in a deal with the Heat. Nicola Lupo of Sportando notes that Oklahoma City has 35 future picks and swap rights across the next seven NBA drafts. The discovery of Dort, who went undrafted, is a shining example of the quality of the Thunder’s scouting department.
I’m assuming it will remain a team option on the last year (not picked up), so OKC can decline it to make him an RFA, if they do choose?
35 future picks and swap rights across the next seven NBA drafts
Jesus. OKC plays their cards right they can build a contender for a long time.
Hopefully they can sign John Collins to pair with SGA
Hawks are gonna match any offer that John gets this summer. Bazley should be just as good as John in a few yrs tho
Idk about that considering they shot themselves in the foot financially with Bogdanovic and Galliari.
Galliari 20 mill 21 mill next 2 years
Bogdanovic 18 mill each of the next 3 years.
Depending on contract structure theyd be hard pressed to match an offer.
Hawks can & will easily match any offer John gets, including a max offer. Gallo has 1 guaranteed yr after this yr. He, Bogdan & Capela are the only guys making big $ on the Hawks & they are all below $20M/yr. Don’t matter what the contract structure is it will be an easy decision to match whatever offer John agrees to
I definitely disagree about Atl “shooting themselves in the foot financially” by signing Bogdan & Gallo too. Both guys have had injury issues but both will be big for the Hawks down the stretch of the season & in the playoffs. Hawks had $ to spend last off-season & spent it well considering how dry the free agent market was. The Gallo & Bogie signings won’t hamper us at all as far as re-signing John either. We won’t even be near the luxury tax line even if he gets a max deal
Let’s see if any of those draft picks are just half as good as Durant, Harden, or Westbrook. If they’re lucky one of them might be almost as good as Russ but the chances of them getting another Harden or KD are slim at best.
Hawks can & will easily match any offer John gets, including a max offer. Gallo has 1 guaranteed yr after this yr. He, Bogdan & Capela are the only guys making big $ on the Hawks & they are all below $20M/yr. Don’t matter what the contract structure is it will be an easy decision to match whatever offer John agrees to
Course they will match it. They can’t live with the fact that he does not want to be there and they don’t think any deal via trading him will result in helping them long term.
Collins would be great for this thunder core.
Admire teams such as OKC that are able to find good ones such as Dort in the second round. Think OKC has a great future. IMO Sam Hinkie and Sam Presti know the right way. ‘The Process’ is the correct approach. Takes longer than expected sometimes. There is luck involved.