The Oklahoma City Thunder finally have some hard decisions to make during the 2026 offseason.
With a very young roster, several of their talented players are due for paydays soon, and that time is coming for Chet Holmgren and Jalen Williams, whose max contract extensions kick in next year.
The Thunder have only two major contract questions this offseason: Isaiah Hartenstein and Luguentz Dort, both of whom have team options.
While it is possible Oklahoma City could restructure Hartenstein’s deal, given that he was an integral part of its Western Conference Finals run, that could leave Dort as the potential odd man out.
Dort is the longest tenured Thunder player, tied with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Dort is known for his elite perimeter defense and high motor. His team option for next year is $ 17.7 million.
While the price is not too steep for the modern NBA, Dort’s issue is with the roster construction. Right now, the Thunder have three outstanding defensive-minded wings — Dort, Cason Wallace and Alex Curoso make up the trio.
Caruso is already locked in long-term with a contract and Wallace is still on his rookie deal, making him a cheaper option for the Thunder.
With all that in mind, it seems that the Thunder might be forced to move on from Dort. The two options the team has are to either trade or release Dort.
But one player on the team is backing Dort to stay.
Superstar Gilgeous-Alexander wants Dort, who is the NBA MVP’s teammate on Team Canada, to remain in OKC.
Tim MacMahon of the “NBA Today Show” reported that Gilgeous-Alexander has spoken with General Manager Sam Presti about keeping Dort on the roster.
“He will at least remind Sam Presti and the Thunder management just how much he values having Lu Dort as his teammate,” MacMahon said earlier this week.
With Shai on Dort’s side, that could add a wrinkle to the saga. But Gilgeous-Alexander has been adamant that he will not meddle in player signings or trades.
Still, even with support from teammates, there is a belief that Dort could be used as a trade piece or let go to find his new team.
