Oklahoma City’s path back to the top may hinge on a familiar name getting back on track.
The Thunder are expected to be in the title mix again next season, but one of the biggest questions around that push is what happens with Lu Dort after a rough 2026. Oklahoma City won a league-best 64 games last season despite dealing with a long list of injuries, yet Dort’s drop-off stood out as one of the clearest issues in an otherwise dominant year.
After playing a major role in the Thunder’s 2025 championship run and establishing himself as one of the league’s better 3-and-D wings, Dort’s offense fell off sharply. He averaged 8.3 points, which marked the first time since his rookie season that he didn’t reach double figures. His 38.5% shooting was the worst of his career, and he hit just 34.4% of his threes after sitting around 40% over the previous two seasons.
The slump didn’t stop when the playoffs arrived. Dort started every game, but he managed only 5.5 points per night and shot 30.8% from beyond the arc. For a starter on a team with championship expectations, those numbers just don’t cut it.
Even so, Oklahoma City picked up his team option, which at least suggests the organization still believes a rebound is possible. A trade remains on the table, especially with the Thunder’s position relative to the second apron, but if Dort stays, the pressure is obvious: he has to be better.
There’s also a real chance his role shrinks. With Cason Wallace continuing to emerge, Mark Daigneault could decide to give the starting job to the young guard. If that happens, Dort’s minutes would likely fall to their lowest level since at least his rookie year.
None of that changes what Dort still brings. He’s going to keep giving Oklahoma City effort on defense, and he can still provide a jolt on that end.
But the bigger swing factor is his shot. He spends most of his offensive minutes away from the ball, so the Thunder need him to punish defenses when he gets clean looks from deep.
Teams were willing to live with those chances even when Dort was hitting around 40% from three in the two seasons before last year. The problem was that he didn’t make them pay in 2026.
Now heading into his eighth season, Dort has another chance to prove he can be part of the answer. If he does, it could help Oklahoma City climb back to the top and maybe even hang a second championship banner in Paycom Center.
In Other News...
Russell Westbrook Just Gave Thunder Fans Another Reason To Love OKC
Russell Westbrook keeps finding ways to stay tied to Oklahoma City, and his latest move gives Thunder fans another reason to smile. The former Thunder star is among the investors in OKC United, the new soccer club set to join the USL Championship in 2028, a project that is already trying to root itself in the citys identity rather than just its sports market.
Westbrook also had a hand in shaping the clubs crest, which leans into Oklahomas Native American heritage and local culture in a way that fits the downtown vision around the team. With a new soccer stadium planned for downtown Oklahoma City, OKC United is building toward a debut that feels like more than expansion news, and Westbrooks involvement only adds another layer to how the club wants to be introduced to the city. [Read more 🡒]
Thunder May Have Just Sold Low On A Key Rotation Shooter
The Thunders latest cap move has drawn plenty of second-guessing, and it is easy to see why. Isaiah Joe had become one of Oklahoma Citys most useful bench pieces, a catch-and-shoot threat who gave the second unit real spacing and scoring punch, yet the club still chose to move him as it worked through a payroll squeeze.
Even after the deal, Oklahoma City remains roughly $13 million over the second-apron threshold, which is why the trade has landed as more of a financial reset than a basketball win. Zach Lowe was especially blunt in his criticism, arguing that Detroit took advantage of the Thunders need to shed money and came away with the better end of the bargain, leaving Oklahoma City with a decision that already looks like a sell-low moment. [Read more 🡒]
One Thunder Offseason Move Says Everything About OKCs Title Defense
Fresh off an NBA title and a run that came within reach of another Finals trip, the Thunder spent the offseason looking less like a team resting on its success and more like one trying to protect it. The front office kept the core intact where it mattered, bringing back Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, while also adding new pieces through the draft and reshaping the edges of the roster with an eye on both competitiveness and cost.
The result has been a transformational summer that says plenty about where Oklahoma City believes it is right now. This is a champion trying to stay young, deep and flexible at the same time, even if that means parting with useful rotation help like Aaron Wiggins and Joe and making some uncomfortable choices around the margins. For a team with title defense on its mind, the bigger question is how far it can keep threading that needle without losing the feel that made the first run work. [Read more 🡒]