Thunder mailbag: How will OKC fill final roster spot following Lu Dort trade?
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It's time for another mailbag, where I answer your biggest questions about the OKC Thunder.
There are certainly a lot of them after what has been an eventful offseason. OKC has cut costs by trading Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe. It has freed up more opportunities for its returning players. And it still has one open roster spot that it can fill.
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Let's talk about all of that and more:
@SpideyPoke92: Is the current belief around the organization that ownership is willing to pay up into the second apron for the right players/team? For example, the Cason and Ajay upcoming contracts, if they prove worthy of them.
Ownership will pay into the second apron, since that threshold is unavoidable. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander ($60.6 million), Chet Holmgren ($44.5 million) and Jalen Williams ($44.5 million) will account for 86% of the league cap in 2027-28.
The real question is how much ownership is willing to pay once OKC becomes a second-apron team next summer. As you mentioned, Cason Wallace is extension eligible right now, and Ajay Mitchell is due for a new deal next summer.
It isn't lost on ownership that we're witnessing a special era of Thunder basketball. One that isn't likely to ever be topped. And it also isn't lost on the group that the franchise has been saving for this very situation.
OKC stayed out of the luxury tax for six straight seasons (2020-2026). It has the revenue from the NBA's 11-year, $76 billion media agreement with Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video that was signed in 2024. It has projected revenue from league expansion. It'll soon have a new $1 billion arena that it's only paying 5% ($50 million) of the bill for, with the rest being footed by taxpayers. It reduced its payroll and luxury tax penalties by $317 million this summer.
The stage is set for ownership to pay up throughout these next handful of years. And that appears to be the plan, based on what Thunder executive vice president and general manager Sam Presti said in my recent exclusive interview with him.
"The impression I have been given is that the savings generated this summer, and from being out of the tax the last several years, will be re-allocated to future teams," Presti said.
@Paolographer: With Lu gone, our perimeter defense should take a step back. On the other hand, maybe there will also be less droughts from 3. Which is more likely to happen?
The loss of Dort will definitely be felt on defense, where he's an elite screen navigator and someone who uses his strength to scale up. And that last part is what I think some people are overlooking.
Wallace is also an elite point-of-attack defender who made the All-Defensive second team last season, but the 6-foot-3 guard is less capable of holding his own against bigger opponents. Alex Caruso can do that, but part of what made OKC so dangerous was that you could stagger him and Dort. That also placed less of a regular-season burden on Caruso, who then shined during the playoffs.
Of course, there are also some good changes that can be expected. And I don't think less droughts from 3 is one of them, considering OKC as a team is streaky in that department.
With Wallace and Mitchell due for bigger roles, the Thunder will have more capable ball handlers and playmakers. Guys who can touch the paint and be more electric in transition than Dort.
That's what intrigues me the most about this version of the team. But there will obviously be an adjustment period after losing someone as important as Dort.
@RefrigeratorOwn4601: Any chance ownership will make a 'Forever Thunder' Lu Dort shirt for every seat (playoffs style) for when Atlanta visits next season?
This is obviously a joke, although I do think Dort deserves the warmest of welcomes when he makes his return to Paycom Center.
I saw the love he got when he put an opposing player in The Dorture Chamber or hit one of his sky-scraping 3-pointers. But I also saw the hate he got when he had one of his off nights. And I saw plenty of people thinking OKC was just better off declining his team option this summer and letting him walk for nothing.
The Thunder ultimately traded Dort because ownership wanted to save money for the future. It didn't trade him because he was a negative contributor to the team.
Dort was the muscle during the early days of OKC's rebuild, when it got pushed around by bigger and better squads. He was the guy who stood his ground against prime James Harden in the 2020 playoffs as a 20-year-old undrafted rookie.
Dort was also the biggest example of OKC's talent development. He became an All-Defensive first team guard and a 41.2% 3-point shooter in 2024-25.
Dort will go down as one of the most impactful players in Thunder history. And while he won't get a playoff-style T-shirt when he returns to OKC this season, he has a strong case to get his jersey retired in its new arena when his playing career ends.
@Electronic_Beach_380: Who are we going to fill the 15th roster spot with?
OKC freed up that 15th and final roster spot by trading Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal where it received three second-round picks. The Thunder is now $6.9 million below the second apron.
That's not a ton of money to play with, and it's also important to remember that any signings would also increase OKC's luxury tax bill. It'd have to really value a player to pursue him, which was the case when it tried to pry Spencer Jones away from the Denver Nuggets.
If Denver didn't match the two-year, $12 million offer sheet on Jones, OKC's tax bill would've increased from $19.9 million to $43 million, per ESPN's Bobby Marks.
The most likely scenario is that the Thunder will either keep the spot open entering this season or promote one of its two-way players. It has had plenty of success with the latter method throughout the years.
Otega Oweh would be my pick since he has the potential to take the Dort development path, but recently-waived guard Payton Sandfort also makes sense. It wouldn't hurt to add another shooter after trading Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.
@akuzariN: Of all the players on the team, is there anyone you think will have an exceptionally good year?
The easy pick is Jalen Williams, who should go back to being in All-NBA conversations if he can stay healthy.
Even when hindered by a right shooting wrist injury and multiple hamstring strains last season, Williams showed why he's one of the most complete players in the league. He got to the rim at will, thrived as a playmaker, contributed on the glass and defended virtually every position at a high level. And he'll only become more dominant as he gets his shooting touch back.
But I also think Mitchell is due for another big season. He's my favorite as of today to win Sixth Man of the Year, assuming Wallace becomes the more consistent starter.
Mitchell is more than capable of running the second unit. He's already a high-level shot creator, and the backcourt pairing of him and Jared McCain should be a ton of fun.
Lastly, Kenrich Williams is someone who could have a sneaky-good season. I talked about how OKC could miss Dort because of his ability to scale up defensively, and Williams is a 6-7 forward who could see an uptick in opportunities because of that.
Justin Martinez covers the Thunder and NBA for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Justin? He can be reached at [email protected] or on X/Twitter at @Justintohoops. Sign up for the Thunder Sports Minute newsletter to access more NBA coverage. Support Justin's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Thunder mailbag: How will OKC fill final roster spot following Lu Dort trade?