By now, it is clear that the Oklahoma City Thunder are shedding their salaries to avoid diving deep into the second apron. It’s also clear that they’re investing in size, extending Isaiah Hartenstein‘s contract and drafting a 7’3″ giant in Aday Mara. Lu Dort‘s future with the Thunder is starting to look bleak, and he may either be taking a pay cut soon or playing for another team next season.
Not every team has the luxury of coming up with a move that ships off some of their best role players and still looks good on paper. The Thunder did just that when they let go of Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe, trading key guards for a total of four second-round picks. After a flurry of moves that began in the 2026 NBA Draft, nothing has been quiet for the 2025 champs.
Is Lu Dort Safe From the OKC Trading Block?
After the Thunder handed out extensions to their big three of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams in the aftermath of their 2025 title, it was obvious that they’re going to build around these players for years to come. GM Sam Presti is not making the same mistake that saw the end of OKC’s initial big three of Kevin Durant, Russell WestbrookΒ and James Harden. But it also means that anyone other than the core trio is expected to be expendable moving forward. That’s evident with both Joe and Wiggins now set to play elsewhere next season, and Dort may be the next player to move on from the team.
Dort is a Proven Veteran for OKC
Dort and SGA are the lone Thunder players still present from OKC’s miracle playoff appearance in 2020. Over the years, Dort has accumulated a massive fan following in Oklahoma, becoming a significant force on the squad as a vocal veteran.
To be fair, Alex Caruso remains the most seasoned player on the team, but Dort has played with OKC the longest, next to SGA. He’s been a crucial performer on the big stage for the Thunder as well. Fans are always quick to recall how some of his antics have become the season-saving plays that mattered most.
Among them was OKC’s pivotal Game 5 against Denver last year. Dort managed to single-handedly carry the Thunder, draining three 3-pointers in the final frame as part of OKC’s rally to take the series lead. Some would say that if it hadn’t been for Dort’s timely, veteran performance, the Thunder would not have won the series and would not have earned an NBA title later on.
Thunder make the Lu Dort option official.
Dort has played in 432 career games with 423 starts.
#3 in 3 pointers in OKC history
#6 in steals in OKC history pic.twitter.com/JouSW5LzwT— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 29, 2026
The Dorture Chamber is Regressing as of Late
But the thing about the NBA is that no player is ever safe for a team — even if you’re a star. Just look at how Ja Morant was poised to be the face of the Grizzlies, and they just traded him to the Portland Trail Blazers. In Dort’s case, his game has been regressing one season after another, and it’s hard to keep him when the Thunder have other talents who could play better and make a bigger impact. For what it’s worth, the Dorture Chamber wasn’t born overnight; it was a homage to the Thunder guard’s defensive prowess that made him an iconic name in the game.
At one point, Dort was one of the best on-ball defenders in the league, capable of locking down elite scorers to tour date numbers. He struck fear into Tyrese Haliburton and held him without a field goal in Game 5 of last year’s NBA Finals. That’s a reminder of how great Dort is as a defender. However, his game is also starting to regress, with the Cookies and Cream duo of Caruso and Cason Wallace making strides on that end of the floor.
Always felt like the Thunder were gonna pick up his option, now just remains to be seen if he gets traded or is on the team for the year https://t.co/UpPHqcsXkD
— πͺπππ π© (@Three_Cone) June 29, 2026
It’s no secret that Caruso and Wallace are also much more effective two-way players than Dort. Caruso has been a massive beast on the playoff stage — he was even considered for Western Conference Finals MVP this year. Wallace, on the other hand, finished as the league leader in steals, and his offensive consistency earned him a few cracks on the starting lineup.
Dort’s Future with OKC is Ticking Down
Dort still has a team option of $17 million for the coming season, and Oklahoma City has just picked it up. However, it seems this move may lead to a trade, considering that the Thunder would want to stay away from the second apron. They’ve already shed plenty with Wiggins and Joe being dumped, and they’re even lucky to get second-rounders in that regard. For what it’s worth, the IHart deal was also a win, as the big man essentially took a pay cut and yet remained with the team for $75 million.
The clock is ticking on Dort’s future with the Thunder. There is hope that he may choose to stay with the team, albeit with a salary cut like Hartenstein’s and a reduced role off the bench. OKC will have to make tough decisions that are bound to affect the team’s chemistry. For now, Dort has a chance to prove his worth this coming campaign, but it may be his last if he fails to show why he’s worth keeping in the long run.
Β© Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
