NBA Twitter reacts to Lu Dort’s new contract with the Thunder
The Oklahoma City Thunder decided to lock up Lu Dort for the foreseeable future as the team signed him onto a five-year, $87.5 million contract on Thursday.
This is quite the turnaround as the Thunder surprisingly declined Dort’s $1.9 million team option on Wednesday to make him a restricted free agent. Thunder general manager Sam Presti sounded like contract negotiations were going to wait until next summer during this past Saturday’s rookies presser.
“The only thing I can tell you is that we have an option on that agreement, and obviously it’s our plan to exercise that pending anything different,” said Presti. “So I would just plan on that happening unless something changed.”
It looks like something clearly changed from Saturday to Thursday. Let’s take a look at what NBA Twitter had to say about the deal.
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
SGA is signed for the next 5 years.
Lu Dort is signed for the next 5 years.
Josh Giddey will be signed for the next 8~ years in OKC.
Chet Holmgren will be signed for the next 9~ years in OKC.
What a talented, high upside young core to build around for OKC.
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 30, 2022
Lu Dort is staying in OKC on a 5-year deal, his agent tells @wojespn. pic.twitter.com/QvTj0duWT6
— ESPN (@espn) June 30, 2022
SHAI & DORT ARE LOCKED IN TILL' 2027 TOGETHER
CANADIAN BROS FOREVER. pic.twitter.com/EgwmLWeFqt
— TF (@ThunderFocus) June 30, 2022
undrafted, 2-way deal, 4 year non-guarantee deal making only 1-1.7 mil a year to 87.5 million dollars.
what an amazing story. couldn’t be happier for Lu Dort. https://t.co/3GRuvebyKY
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) June 30, 2022
From undrafted to an $80+ million contract…Nothing but respect for Lu Dort. 💰✊ pic.twitter.com/1dtg4u8uOL
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 30, 2022
The news every Thunder fan wanted to see:
Lu Dort signs long term in OKC.
(And on a nice contract for both sides!) https://t.co/U57TY2ArZP
— Brandon Rahbar (@BrandonRahbar) June 30, 2022
LU DORT HAS SIGNED A FIVE YEAR DEAL FOR $87.5 MIL
HE STAYS pic.twitter.com/F6W4DCWZM9
— 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒆 🌩 (@Three_Cone) June 30, 2022
Lu Dort has improved offensively every season.
2020: 6.8 PPG on 50.6 TS%
2021: 14.0 PPG on 51.3 TS%
2022: 17.2 PPG on 54.1 TS%Still elite defense. pic.twitter.com/F79pijkUaq
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 30, 2022
Lu Dort and the Thunder have agreed to a five-year $87.5M deal, @wojespn pic.twitter.com/K5a8YIcOF6
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 30, 2022
The beauty of the Lu Dort contract is 17.5-million per year with his skillset is such an easy trade chip if OKC needed to include him as a center piece/sweetner of a trade. Also, being on this team for the majority of the 5 years with OKC contending for most of it hopefully.
— Rylan Stiles (@Rylan_Stiles) June 30, 2022
17.5 mil for Dort seems like a lot, but with the rising cap this deal will look a lot smaller in the coming years.
Good for Dort to get his money, and the Thunder lock him up long term on a contract that will be cap friendly and tradable down the road https://t.co/vk2RNKh6UV
— Andrew Schlecht (@AndrewKSchlecht) June 30, 2022
Lu Dort in 2022:
17.2 PPG
4.2 RPG
1.7 APGFive more years with the Thunder squad. pic.twitter.com/TxK47cn4XG
— StatMuse (@statmuse) June 30, 2022
LU DORT GOT BROKEN OFF 🤑🤑🤑 https://t.co/x1ejKz6fEO
— ThunderChats (Thank You Pels) (@ThunderChats) June 30, 2022
$17.5M a year to keep Lu Dort in OKC for the next 5 years.
Seems like he’s a part of Presti’s vision.
— Derek Parker (@DParkOK) June 30, 2022
It was difficult to realistically envision what OKC’s young core would be during that 20-21 year.
Less than a year & a half later OKC has their potential future defensive anchor in Chet, Giddey, Lu Dort, headlined by their offensive engine in SGA & a LONG list of prospects.
— Thunder Film Room (@ThunderFilmRoom) June 30, 2022
I would love to know what changed for Presti in regards to picking up/declining Dort’s option in that short span of time. It clearly wasn’t that he got an indication Dort was willing to agree to a lower number as some speculated, so why the sudden change?
— Albazleycakes (@Albabycakes) June 30, 2022
BOOM.
Lu Dort and the Thunder have reportedly agreed on a deal that will bring him back for 5 years, $87.5M.
A lot of happy Thunder fans right now. #ThunderUp pic.twitter.com/gXPDNdI0Dt
— Boomtown Hoops (@BoomtownHoops) June 30, 2022
