Bricktown Blueprint: Lu Dort's Contract Extension Outlook
From an outsider's perspective, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a franchise typically discussed in the future tense. With the Thunder owning a record-setting amount of draft capital and an ongoing rebuild for two seasons, the present tense has been jaded. However, this offseason will pose some pivotal propositions for Thunder GM Sam Presti, and it starts at the negotiation table.
The Thunder may exercise up to five team options leading into next season's training camp. But their biggest in-house decision surfaces from 23-year-old guard Lu Dort.
As a member of the 2019 NBA Draft class, Dort will make $1.9 million in the 2022-23 season before becoming an unrestricted free agent. However, Presti now wields the opportunity to lock down Dort long-term following his two-way contract upgrade in June 2020.
Dort’s ascension among Bricktown ranks has been nothing short of special. After failing to hear his name in the 2019 NBA Draft, the former Arizona State Sun Devil inked a two-way contract with the Oklahoma City Blue. He starred with the Blue averaging 19.5 points, headlined by a 35-point outing, to open the door to the big stage. He knocked his NBA stint out of the park, netting a contract conversion. By the end of the 2019-20 season – he was one rejection away from propelling the Thunder to the second round. Since this point, Dort has continued to elevate, improving to a capable three-point shooter while being one of the premier defenders the league has to offer.
Lu Dort and Sam Presti addressed potential extension talks in their respective exit interviews last month. By the looks of it, the matter is expected to be discussed. In Dort’s camp, he noted that he’ll have his agent look over potential deals. For Presti, he mentioned the guard’s current deal and the potential contract landscape moving forward.
“We'll definitely have a conversation on that [Lu’s contract extension,] said Presti. “I don't know when that will -- those conversations will really kind of pick up, but we will have some different options. I don't want to get into all of them, but the most important thing in those situations is trying to understand like where everybody is coming from and you need to work together.”
During Presti’s two-hour, 13-minute interview, he mentioned on multiple occasions that the NBA’s Collective Bargaining Agreement could be altered in 2023, leading to an alteration in the salary cap moving forward. Basically, he made it clear there is some league-wide salary uncertainty moving forward.
After a third-year campaign that saw Dort average 17.2 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists across 51 games, the 6-foot-3 guard has made himself a hot commodity in Bricktown. Based on his current play, Dort’s price tag should be in the ballpark range of $16 million to $20 million per year for a multi-year extension. Though, Dort’s agency, Wasserman, will hold additional leverage during the year as his unrestricted status makes him a hot commodity in the open market.
Although it may be a no-brainer for Dort to sign an extension as soon as possible, Presti’s comments on the 2023 offseason keep the idea of him holding off from signing a deal prior to training camp. Though this tactic has gone awry, notably in the trading of James Harden in 2012, the dynamics are much different. The Thunder are looking to rebuild with a mere $54.4 million projected salary for the 2023-24 season. When you factor this with next season’s salary cap slated at $122 million – there’s a lot of food on Presti’s plate.
Dort is one of four members from the 2019 NBA Draft class the Thunder will make a decision on in the following months.
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