Should the OKC Thunder Retire Lu Dort's No. 5?

He helped build a culture and change the standard of OKC Thunder basketball, but will anyone else wear Lu Dort's jersey number?

Oct 21, 2025; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti shakes hands with guard Luguentz Dort during the championship ring ceremony before a game against the Houston Rockets at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

After going undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft, officially signing with the Oklahoma City Thunder the day Paul George was sent to Los Angeles, marking a new era of Thunder basketball, who would've guessed Lu Dort's career would go as it did. Breaking the scenes as a rookie on a two-way contract in the midst of a surprise playoff push, encapsulating it with a 30-point performance in a Game 7, he immediately made it clear what the incoming rebuild, delayed by magic, would bring.

Despite it being early in his career, Dort immediately became a leader during OKC's bottom-of-the-barrel lottery seasons, ensuring teams couldn't just scuff over the young Thunder. This, among others, is a key reason why Dort was one of four members of those two teams to remain on the franchise's first NBA Champion.

Not only was he one of the few left, but he was also the longest tenured, joining (officially) four days before superstar countryman Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The former ASU Sun Devil was finally named to an All-Defensive team in the team's championship season, knocking down multiple huge shots during the playoff run.

Dort was instrumental in the Thunder winning each of their seven-game series during the 2025 playoffs, saving the team with three third-quarter triples down 10 points in a crucial Game 5 against the Nuggets and playing exceptionally in the NBA Finals against the Pacers. Through it all, Dort helped build a new culture in a new era of Thunder basketball through his seven years in Bricktown, never leaving the starting lineup when healthy since the moment he first entered it.

The Dorture Chamber moved cross-country Sunday afternoon when the final Apron-avoiding move of the 2026 Thunder offseason hit the newstands, as Dort was sent to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal. With an era over, legacy can be discussed, which raises questions that many who ask want to come true for the fan favorite. Will Dort's No. 5 jersey be retired in OKC?

On paper, it wouldn't make sense. Dort averaged 11.6 points per game on 40.5% shooting throughout his seven-season Thunder career, albeit with defensive abilities at the top of the NBA. Looking from a cultural standpoint, however, it's a given.

The Thunder have retired just one number in their short history in Oklahoma City: Nick Collison. He averaged just 5.2 points per game in his career, but, nicknamed Mr. Thunder, he spent his entire 14-year career with the SuperSonics/Thunder organization, later joining the front office.

After his career is done, Russell Westbrook's No. 0 will naturally be alongside Collison's No. 4, as Kevin Durant is likely as well, with only PJ Dozier (2017-18) wearing 35 since his controversial exit. With so few retirees, it's easy to expect Dort to have a fair shot.

OKC's first champion will live in history and it's nearly a given to say at least three members of that team will get their numbers retired as well, in Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, despite it being so early in their careers. If the organization decides to retire more than the big three, due to his importance to the team throughout the rebuild that built it, Dort would surely be next.

Dort will certainly be honored within the Thunder organization at some point, in any capacity. He has a clear case that proves that his legacy with the organization could warrant a jersey retirement.