{"id":205215,"date":"2026-07-16T08:00:40","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T12:00:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=205215"},"modified":"2026-07-15T23:30:03","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T03:30:03","slug":"lu-dort-okc-future-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/07\/16\/lu-dort-okc-future-2026\/","title":{"rendered":"Lu Dort’s Future With OKC Remains Uncertain"},"content":{"rendered":"

It’s no secret that Lu Dort<\/a>‘s future hangs in the balance heading into next season. But will he impress OKC enough to get another deal? The Thunder shocked many critics when they picked up Dort’s team option<\/a>. Considering that they are actively trying to avoid the second apron, this move didn’t address it at all.<\/p>\n

In fact, some even claim Dort needs to be traded at the very least. But the message is clear: the Thunder are giving their All-Defensive player another shot to prove his worth. After all, he’s been a good rotational piece alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/a>, Jalen Williams<\/a>, and Chet Holmgren<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Lu Dort’s Future With OKC Remains Uncertain<\/h2>\n

But as the Thunder hope to keep contending in a wild Western Conference, they have got to improve. Dort’s production clearly dipped this past season. Now, he must show that he’s worth keeping at all, considering that his contract isn’t getting any cheaper.<\/p>\n

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Dort Needs to Be a Better Scorer<\/h3>\n

It’s no secret that Dort’s 3-point shooting<\/a> fell worse than most would expect. He had two fair years of decent shooting from deep, proving that the 3-and-D role was solely his to begin with. He shot 39.4% in 2023-24, then 41.2% in 2024-25, and was a crucial part of the Thunder’s run to the Finals last year.<\/p>\n

This season, however, Dort’s offense regressed. It marked the first time he shot below 40% from the field after two straight seasons as a 43% shooter. His perimeter shooting fell to a meager 34.4%, which is the lowest mark he’s had since 2022-23<\/a>. That said, 2025 Playoff Dort was really something else.<\/p>\n

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I know I bring it up a lot but the Lu Dort moonball pic.twitter.com\/nM3edwDh7f<\/a> https:\/\/t.co\/pgCJiclXrD<\/a><\/p>\n

— \ud835\udc6a\ud835\udc90\ud835\udc8f\ud835\udc86 \ud83c\udf29 (@Three_Cone) April 17, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n