Arriving on the free agent market just yesterday, Luguentz Dort won’t be going anywhere this summer. During the first half hour after the opening of the Free Agency 2022, we actually learned that the 23-year-old Canadian was extending his adventure in Oklahoma City for a nice jackpot.
A few days ago, when Sam Presti had hinted that the Thunder was considering activating his team option on Luguentz Dort, we were beginning to have some doubts about the future of the main interested party in Oklahoma City. Indeed, who says team option activated in 2022 says non-restricted free agent in 2023, which could have opened the door to Dort leaving in a year. But ultimately, the one called Lu in the jargon is part of the Thunder project. Only a day after making his player a restricted free agent by declining his team option, the Oklahoma City franchise has secured Lu Dort with a very nice five-year, $87.5 million contract. We thus pass on an annual salary of 17.5 million greenbacks, while his previous contract was… 5.4 million over four seasons. So it’s official, Dort is no longer part of the most profitable contracts in the League, some even saying hot on the beautiful bird that he goes directly into the category of overpaid guys. We let you make your own opinion on the question but we would like to remind you that Lu Dort has established himself in recent years as one of the most solid defenders on the NBA circuit, while showing uninteresting offensive progress in the project. tanking rebuilt from Oklahoma City (17.2 points average this season).
Free agent G Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5M deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, his agent Thad Foucher of Wasserman tells ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 30, 2022
This project precisely, Lu Dort knows it well. He first participated in the great 2019-20 season with the Thunder, a season where he made his way to OKC despite an undrafted status and where he tasted the Playoffs alongside Chris Paul, Shai and others. Gilgeous-Alexander and Dennis Schroder. We still remember his huge defensive job on James Harden in the first round against the Rockets in the bubble, just like his Game 7 at… 30 pawns and 6/12 from the parking lot. Thunder boss Sam Presti then obviously decided to shave almost everything, and Dort was at the forefront of understanding how to tank beautifully in the NBA. It has allowed him to gain responsibility amid the many defeats and jerks received, but today this new contract just signed shows that he represents one of the pillars of the Thunder’s reconstruction alongside Shai, Josh Giddey , and all the youngsters who have just arrived at the 2022 Draft including Chet Holmgren (pick #2) and the Frenchie Ousmane Dieng.
At 23 years old and after having fought hard to find a real place in the NBA, Lu Dort is rewarded with a big deal reaching almost 90 million dollars. The Canadian winger is now tied with the Thunder until the 2026-27 season, so hopefully he can see OKC become competitive again in the Western Conference.
Source texte : ESPN