Luguentz Dort

Northwest Notes: Blazers, Dort, Jazz, Wolves

June 24th, 2020 at 10:09am CST by Luke Adams

The Trail Blazers, who already had one open spot on their 15-man roster, will now have the opportunity to sign two players if they want to, since Trevor Ariza‘s decision to opt out of the summer restart makes him eligible to be replaced by a substitute player.

Despite their roster flexibility, it’s not a lock that the Trail Blazers will add a rotation player before heading to Orlando, writes Jason Quick of The Athletic. As Quick explains, Gary Trent Jr. appears to be the most likely candidate to replace Ariza in the starting lineup, and rookies Nassir Little and Jaylen Hoard could be wild cards.

Quick also speculates that Trail Blazers head coach Terry Stotts could get creative with his lineups to cover for the fact that the team will be without its top two small forwards (Ariza and Rodney Hood). Quick suggests we could see three-guard lineups featuring Anfernee Simons alongside Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, or bigger five-man units that utilize Zach Collins at the four and Carmelo Anthony at the three.

Here’s more from out of the Northwest:

With the NBA’s transaction window now open, it’s decision time for the Thunder and two-way player Luguentz Dort. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman takes a closer look at the club’s options as it weighs whether to move Dort to the 15-man roster.
Tony Jones of The Athletic discusses whether the Jazz might make any changes to their 15-man roster for the summer restart and explores how two-way players Jarrell Brantley and Justin Wright-Foreman fit into the team’s plans.
After wearing a Fitbit patch on their jerseys since 2017/18, the Timberwolves are seeking a new sponsor for next season that will help “create impact in our community” and “be a champion for social advancement,” COO Ryan Tanke told Jabari Young of CNBC.

Thunder Notes: Roberson, Dort, Restart

June 8th, 2020 at 9:45am CST by Luke Adams

After speaking at length on Sunday about George Floyd’s death and racial and equality issues in the United States, Thunder general manager Sam Presti also answered basketball-related questions about his team.

As Erik Horne of The Athletic details, one of those questions was about whether Andre Roberson might be available to contribute when the season resumes. A recent report from Horne suggested that Roberson is nearly ready to return from the knee issues that have sidelined him for more than two full years.

“The time has really helped ‘Dre,” Presti said. “From a health standpoint, he’s doing really well. The issues that we’re facing is that we have not had the opportunity to see him on the court in real basketball activity because everything is relegated to the one-on-zero still. I think we’re in a better place than we were March 11, that’s for sure, but we don’t know exactly where he’ll be once we get down to actually participating in contact and going through team practices and things of that nature.”

Presti added that the club is “hopeful” that Roberson will be able to play this summer, but wasn’t willing to say anything more definitive about the forward’s status. As Horne notes, it doesn’t make much sense for OKC to increase expectations for Roberson, or to declare him ready before seeing how he’ll impact the chemistry of the current roster, which looks a whole lot different than it did when he last suited up for the Thunder in January 2018.

Here’s more on the Thunder:

The NBA continues to consider how to handle two-way players when the season resumes, and it’s possible no team will be more impacted by that decision than the Thunder, whose two-way player Luguentz Dort was a fixture in the starting lineup leading up to the hiatus. On Sunday, as Horne writes, Presti referred to Dort as “a guy that we’d love to have with us,” adding that he’s optimistic that will be possible.
Here’s from Presti (via Horne) on Dort, who could have his two-way contract converted into a standard deal: “We have to just see what the options are and then make our best decision there, but he’s clearly someone that we want to have with us going forward, and that would be my expectation. That would be my hope. That could be something that happens in the short-term, it could be something that happens later, I don’t know.”
Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman examines the pros and cons of the NBA’s restart plan for the Thunder, noting that playing at a neutral site could benefit the team, which wasn’t expected to have home-court advantage in any playoff series.

NBA Developing Replacement System For Injured Or Sick Players

June 7th, 2020 at 9:53am CST by Arthur Hill

The NBA is developing a system that will allow teams to replace players who suffer serious injuries or test positive for COVID-19 once play resumes, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski and Bobby Marks.

The league isn’t expected to place a limit on the number of replacement players a team can sign during training camp or the eight additional regular-season games, the authors state. However, sources tell them that the only players eligible to be added must have either played in the NBA or G League this season or have been signed to a training camp contract. Teams won’t be permitted to sign international players or veterans who haven’t been in the league all season, such as Jamal Crawford.

Roster flexibility will end once the postseason begins, with teams only permitted to call up their two-way players.

The league office is considering a requirement that any player who is replaced because of injury or the coronavirus would become ineligible to play for the rest of the season, including the playoffs. Sources say players who test positive will likely be quarantined for at least seven days and possibly as long as two weeks.

Wojnarowski and Marks cover a few more important issues as negotiations continue on the bubble environment:

The league continues to oppose the idea of bringing two-way players to Orlando, but teams are hoping that stance will be reconsidered. Owners view those players as insurance policies who would provide easy replacements in the event of injury or illness. Medical experts recommend keeping the number of players in the bubble as low as possible, and the league is opposing the idea of expanding rosters to 17 to include the two-way players.
Players will undergo coronavirus testing every night, with results to be available the following morning. Sources say all 22 teams involved in the restart will be housed in three Disney complex hotels.
The NBA plans to provide a brief window, likely from June 22 to July 1, for teams to convert two-way players to standard contracts and place them on the 15-man roster. The authors note that Thunder guard Luguentz Dort, who started 21 straight games before the hiatus, is among the players likely to be affected.
After training in their home markets, teams are expected to arrive in Orlando on a staggered schedule during the first week of July. Training camps in the bubble environment are expected to begin about July 9-11.

Thunder Notes: Donovan, Practice Facility, Dort

April 30th, 2020 at 6:53pm CST by ChrisCrouse

Billy Donovan is in the final year of his contract with the Thunder, but GM Sam Presti says that he expects the two sides to have “positive” conversations about the coach’s future with the club, as Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman passes along.

“Obviously this is a unique situation for everybody,” Presti said to Lee and the local media during a conference call. “We’ve always been really proud of the fact that Billy’s been our coach. He’s been our coach now for five years, and I think he’s done an excellent job all five years. And our hope is that once we get some clarity on if this is the end of the season, or if we’re playing more, or what have you, we’ll sit down and have those conversations that we always have.”

“…I’m confident that at the right time we will be able to sit down and have a positive conversation with Billy about his future.”

Here’s more from Oklahoma City:

The league has targeted May 8 as the first day that teams can open their facilities, but Presti would not commit to the Thunder starting back up on that date, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman relays. “With respect to the May 8 date, what I can say is the league has stated that’s a target date,” Presti said. “And we’re still a week or so away from that before we can even get there. And I think what we’ve all seen that live through this experience is that things are changing literally day by day. So we’re evaluating that. I wouldn’t say we’re committed to doing that.”
In the same piece, Presti said that he doesn’t believe teams that return earlier will gain an advantage over those that return later. “And I don’t mean from a basketball standpoint, I just mean in general,” Presti explained. “And a big part of that is because the amount of uncertainty that everyone is working with. You could make the argument that coming back too soon is a disadvantage, you know what I mean? I think it all depends on how you’re defining that.”
In a separate piece, Lee details how Luguentz Dort ended up with the Thunder. The rookie, who is on a two-way contract, appeared in 29 games for Oklahoma City this past year.

Ripple Effect Of Hiatus On Contracts, Cap, Offseason Dates

March 18th, 2020 at 10:02am CST by Luke Adams

Given the typically rigid nature of the NBA’s annual calendar, the current hiatus threatens to complicate a number of dates and deadlines that will arrive in the coming months. In his latest Insider-only article for ESPN.com, Bobby Marks takes a closer look at how those dates – linked to contracts and the salary cap – may be impacted, noting that the NBA and NBPA are expected to collectively bargain a set of transition rules once the league establishes a return timeline.

For instance, there are 29 player options and 12 team options that are currently scheduled to be exercised or declined before the end of June. Those dates will almost certainly have to be adjusted. The same goes for certain salary guarantee dates and the expiry dates on traded player exceptions, as Marks explains. Of course, the start of the 2020/21 league year will have to be pushed back too, so players with expiring contracts don’t become free agents on July 1.

Contract incentives will also be an issue worth keeping an eye on. Marks observes that during the lockout-shortened 2011/12 season, players’ incentives were prorated based on the fact that the league played 66 games instead of 82 games. The NBA could take similar measures this season. For instance, if a player needs to play 1,000 minutes to earn a bonus and his team ends up playing just 70 of 82 games, his incentive requirement would be adjusted so he only needs to play 70/82nds of 1,000 minutes (854 minutes).

Marks’ article is jam-packed with interesting info and is worth checking out in full if you have an Insider subscription. Here are a few more highlights:

Although the NBA’s basketball related income for 2019/20 is projected to take a huge hit as a result of this hiatus and the controversy with China in the fall, it’s too early to say what that will mean for the 2020/21 salary cap, according to Marks. In situations like this, the NBA and NBPA generally negotiate in good faith a cap adjustment that satisfies both sides, so we’re unlikely to see a big drop-off next year.
Still, with the cap for the next year or two no longer expected to increase by nearly as much as the NBA initially projected, the ripple effect could be significant. Maximum-salary contract extensions scheduled to go into effect next season or in 2021/22 for players like Jamal Murray, Ben Simmons, Pascal Siakam, and Damian Lillard won’t be as lucrative as previously estimated, and teams will no longer have as much cap or tax flexibility as expected. As Marks points out, that could influence players with option decisions — they may be more inclined to opt in for ’20/21, with less leaguewide spending power available in the offseason.
Resuming the regular season – rather than just jumping straight to the playoffs – may not be a top priority for many fans, but there are reasons why the NBA won’t want to skip that step, Marks writes. Teams that wanted to make roster moves prior to the postseason wouldn’t get a chance to do so if the NBA moves straight from its current moratorium to the playoffs. For example, in that scenario, the Thunder wouldn’t get the opportunity to convert two-way player Luguentz Dort to their 15-man roster. As such, the NBA may want to play a few regular season games or at least give teams a few days to make necessary roster moves.

Northwest Notes: Dort, Nader, Russell, Grant

March 11th, 2020 at 3:16pm CST by Jovan Alford

The Thunder and their surprising success have been among the NBA’s best stories this season. From the play of veterans Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari to the development of youngsters Luguentz Dort and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, there’s a lot to like about this team.

Speaking of development, head coach Billy Donovan wishes that Dort could practice more with the team and not have his NBA service days affected, writes Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman.

“I think one of the things that would be great,” he said, “is if some of those guys could practice and it not count against them. But I understand that’s not the rule.”

A player such as Dort, who is on a two-way contract, can only spend 45 days with his NBA parent club. When those players are not in the NBA, they are predominately spending time with their NBA G League affiliate.

This season, Dort has played in 29 games (started in 21) with the Thunder. He is averaging 6.2 points and 1.9 rebounds in 22 minutes per game. When his NBA service days run out, the Thunder will have the opportunity to sign the former Arizona State guard to a standard NBA contract. If Oklahoma City does this, he will be a part of the team’s 15-man roster and able to participate in the postseason.

Here’s more from the Northwest:

In other Thunder news, it seems as they found themselves a defensive playmaker in Abdel Nader. Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman wrote about how the 26-year-old forward, who has a team option for 2020/21, made an impact on both ends of the floor in the Thunder’s 105-104 win on Sunday over the Celtics.
Chris Hine of The Star Tribune wrote about D’Angelo Russell‘s shooting slump from this past weekend. The recently-acquired Timberwolves point guard shot 8-of-32 from the field against the Magic and Pelicans. Nevertheless, Russell is not worried and understands that it’s a part of the game. “Just got to kind of let it go,” he said. “Don’t dwell too much on it. Never too high. Never too low. It’s a part of the game. Just let it go and I’ll be all right.” On Tuesday night against the Rockets, Russell scored 28 points on 8-of-15 shooting from the field and 5-of-12 from three-point range in a 117-111 loss.
The Nuggets will have some tough decisions to make when it comes to their frontcourt this offseason, explains Nick Kosmider of The Athletic. Possible tax concerns may push Denver to decide between bringing back either Jerami Grant or Paul Millsap, who helped them defeat the Bucks on Monday. Grant had 19 points and six rebounds off the bench and is playing well over Denver’s last eight games. The former second-round pick has a $9.3MM player option for next season, while Millsap is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent.

Northwest Notes: Clarkson, Mudiay, Beasley, Dort

March 5th, 2020 at 6:11pm CST by Jovan Alford

Earlier this season, the Jazz traded former first-round pick point guard Dante Exum and a pair of second-round picks to the Cavaliers in exchange for guard Jordan Clarkson.

While Clarkson was already a proven commodity as a veteran scoring option off the bench, he has also been labeled as a “ball stopper” or a subpar defender by critics in the past, writes Ben Dowsett of Basketball Insiders. In Utah though, the combo guard has done a good job immersing himself into the Jazz’s culture, working hard to fit into the team’s system on both ends of the court, as Dowsett details.

In 31 games this season with the Jazz, Clarkson is averaging 15.8 PPG, while shooting 48.3% from the field and 38.2% from three-point range.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

Staying with the Jazz, backup point guard Emmanuel Mudiay is happy in Utah and feels like his game has gone to another level, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. The former first-round pick returned to Madison Square Garden this week after the Knicks decided not to re-sign him last offseason.
It looks like the Timberwolves might’ve found a gem in Malik Beasley, suggests Michael Rand of the Star Tribune. Minnesota acquired Beasley from the Nuggets just days before the trade deadline in a massive four-team trade. In 11 games this season with the Wolves, he is averaging 21.4 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 2.3 APG, while shooting an impressive 43.9% from three-point range.
Rookie guard Luguentz Dort has now elevated himself into cult hero status with the Thunder fanbase, writes Logan Meyer of Daily Thunder. The undrafted guard out of Arizona State was signed to a two-way deal this summer but could be on the verge of signing a standard NBA deal soon. If the Thunder were to add him officially to the 15-man roster, he would able to participate in the postseason.

Northwest Notes: Stotts, Wolves, D-Lo, Dort

February 27th, 2020 at 1:19pm CST by Luke Adams

Despite a disappointing season so far in Portland, there’s no reason to believe Terry Stotts‘ job will be in any danger this spring, a source with knowledge of the situation tells Sam Amick of The Athletic. Coming off the Trail Blazers‘ appearance in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, the team extended Stotts’ contract through the 2021/22 season.

This season, the Trail Blazers are in danger of missing the postseason altogether. Even if they sneak in, they’re extremely unlikely to win a series. However, major injuries to key contributors like Jusuf Nurkic, Zach Collins, and Rodney Hood have played a significant role in Portland’s slide, so regardless of how the season ends, Stotts looks safe going forward, Amick writes.

Here’s more from around the Northwest:

The Timberwolves have the most valuable combination of first-round picks for the 2020 draft, according to research by ESPN’s Kevin Pelton (Insider link). Besides their own lottery pick, the Wolves will have Brooklyn’s first-rounder, which will almost certainly fall in the 15-17 range.
D’Angelo Russell had his first great game since joining the Timberwolves on Wednesday night, showing why the team pursued him so aggressively for so long, writes Jon Krawczynski of The Athletic.
ESPN’s Royce Young reported earlier this week (via Twitter) that Thunder wing Luguentz Dort has 16 days of NBA service time available on his two-way contract. Since Dort is only moving closer to his 45-day limit on days when Oklahoma City actually plays, the team should be able to have him active through March 28, the last day of the G League season. After that date, he can spend the rest of the regular season with the Thunder.
As I explained earlier today, Dort won’t be eligible for the postseason unless the Thunder promote him to their 15-man roster. Young suggests (via Twitter) that talks on a standard contract likely won’t pick up until late in the season, since it could be in both sides’ best interests to wait — OKC would save some tax money and Dort could continues increasing his value.

Postseason Eligibility And Two-Way Players

February 27th, 2020 at 10:03am CST by Luke Adams

As we’ve noted a few times leading up to this Sunday’s deadline, March 1 is the final day in an NBA season that a player can be waived and retain his playoff eligibility for a new club. Any player released after March 1 can still sign with another NBA team once he clears waivers, but he wouldn’t be able to participate in the postseason with his new team.

The playoff-eligibility rules are fairly clear for players on standard NBA contracts, but how exactly do they work for players on two-way contracts? Let’s take a closer look…

1. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible for the postseason.

We’ll start with the simplest rule — a player on a two-way contract can’t play for his team in the postseason, even if he hasn’t used up his full allotment of 45 NBA days. A two-way player can travel and practice with the team during the playoffs, but has to remain on the inactive list during games.

2. Two-way players waived after March 1 aren’t eligible to play in the postseason for a new team.

The same waiver rules that apply to players on standard NBA contracts apply to players on two-way deals when it comes to playoff eligibility. If a player on a two-way contract is waived after this Sunday, but before the end of the regular season, he won’t be eligible to join another team for the postseason.

Although these first two rules significantly restrict the ability of two-way players to participate in the playoffs, it’s still possible for a player who is on a two-way contract next week to play in the postseason.

3. A player on a two-way contract who has his contract turned into a standard NBA deal by his current team any time up until the last day of the regular season can play in the postseason for that team.

Rookie wing Luguentz Dort, who has started the last 15 games for the Thunder, is the most obvious example this season of a two-way player who has contributed to his team’s success and could have a role in the playoffs.

If the Thunder want to ensure they’ll have Dort available for the postseason, they could unilaterally convert his two-way deal into a standard, one-year NBA contract or negotiate a standard, multiyear pact anytime between now and the end of the regular season. As long as a two-way player gets moved to the 15-man roster on or before the last day of the regular season, he’s eligible to participate in the playoffs.

Oklahoma City is in a pretty good position to make this move with Dort. The team has an open spot on its 15-man roster, so no one would have to be released to make room. The Thunder also have a portion of their mid-level exception available, so they could potentially negotiate a contract of up to three years with the first-year swingman if he’s open to it.

Moving Dort to the 15-man roster would increase the Thunder’s projected tax bill, which may dissuade them from promoting him sooner rather than later. But if OKC were to make a move near the very end of the season, the effect on the club’s cap and tax bill would be minimal. If the Thunder want Dort available in the postseason, they have a clear path to making it happen.

Although these eligibility rules for two-way players shouldn’t create any problems for most of the league’s 30 teams, the Thunder represent at least one team that has a decision to make before season’s end. In order to make a player on a two-way contract available for the postseason, a club will have to convert that player to a standard NBA deal by April 15.

For more information on how two-way contracts work, be sure to check out our full glossary entry.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Thunder Notes: Gallinari, CP3, Dort, Roberson

February 25th, 2020 at 12:02pm CST by Luke Adams

The trade rumors that surrounded Thunder forward Danilo Gallinari throughout the 2019 offseason and at the start of the ’19/20 season died down to some extent as the team moved into playoff position. However, Oklahoma City appeared to come close to sending Gallinari to Miami at the trade deadline, with reports suggesting that failed extension talks between the veteran and the Heat playing a large role in scuttling the deal.

Moving from OKC to Miami would have meant leaving one playoff team for another, but Gallinari still was glad to stick with the Thunder, as he said during an appearance on the Daily Thunder Podcast.

“I really wanted to stay to stay here,” he said. “[It would be] tough to leave such a great atmosphere, great teammates, a group that is winning… I wanted to stay.”

Gallinari is on an expiring contract and projects to be one of the best free agents available this summer. Still, with so little league-wide cap room available, there’s a chance that Gallinari’s Bird rights will put the Thunder in the driver’s seat to hang onto the Italian forward. He suggested during his Daily Thunder appearance that he’d welcome that outcome.

“I hope so,” he said when asked if re-signing with the Thunder is in play. “It’s not the time now to talk with the team. But in the summer, it’s going to be interesting for me… Definitely, it could be a great option for me to stay here.”

Here’s more out of OKC:

In a Q&A with John Schuhmann of NBA.com, veteran point guard Chris Paul said there’s “no chance” he’d want to become an NBA head coach after he eventually retires. “I don’t want to travel like that,” Paul said. “I want to be around the game as much as possible. I watch every game. But I want to be around my kids and family.”
As we noted on Monday, two-way player Luguentz Dort is building a strong case for a promotion to the Thunder’s 15-man roster. However, Dort himself is remaining patient and trusting the club’s approach, as Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman writes. “Our organization, they know what they’re doing,” Dort said. “I’m really just staying patient and really just playing basketball.”
Cray Allred of Daily Thunder takes an in-depth look at Dort’s situation and potential next steps for the rookie and the Thunder.
Injured Thunder forward Andre Roberson has returned to Oklahoma City and rejoined the team as he continues his rehab process, per Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman. Roberson, who has spent multiple seasons battling knee injuries had relocated to Los Angeles in early December for rehab purposes.

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