Can Luguentz Dort earn a full contract with the OKC Thunder?

The OKC Thunder inked Luguentz Dort to a two-way contract after the NBA Draft, can he play well enough to prove he is worthy of a full NBA contract?

As the one question for every member of the OKC Thunder organization rolls on we get to Luguentz (Lu) Dort. The Montreal Native was signed to a two-way deal after the NBA Draft and has a ton of upside, more upside than is commonly found after the NBA Draft completes. The 6’4 wing that weighs in at 215 pounds could be a starting Linebacker at Arizona State right now if he would’ve elected to return to school.

In his freshman campaign at Arizona State Dort, who models his game after Russell Westbrook so much so that he posts a picture of the former OKC Thunder guard before every game with a simple caption, “Mood.”, posted 16 points per game, on 40 percent shooting from the floor, and 30 percent from deep.

Dort also turned in four rebounds and two assists per game to go along with his one an a half steals a game…Sheesh, you would hate to see this guy running down the lane against you.

So what is the one question looming around Lu Dort for the 2019-20 season? Can he earn a full contract?

Last year, the OKC Thunder took a flyer on Deonte Burton handing him a two-way deal that they eventually turned into a full contract last March. The Thunder gave Burton 32 NBA games a year ago, on a team that was actively trying to make the playoffs with the likes of Paul George and Jerami Grant ahead of Burton, which makes a lot of sense.

The competition for Dort to get on the floor will not be as steep, especially by the trade deadline when Danilo Gallinari is shipped off in a trade.

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By the way, this is not a crazy question. An undrafted player, like Lu Dort, has been able to not only earn a contract like Burton, but work their way into being a mainstay in a teams rotation, and even helped a team win the NBA Finals.

Let’s take a trip to Dallas and look at starting wing Dorian Finney-Smith. Finney-Smith was an undrafted wing from the University of Florida and made his NBA debut in 2016. Since going undrafted and immediately signed by Dallas, the 26-year-old has played in 81 games during the 2016-17 season and 2018-19 season, a career that has seen him average over 20 minutes a game including 35 starts his rookie year, and 26 starts a year ago. (Note: In the 2017-18 season Finney-Smith only played in 21 games.)

Dorian is also primed to be in the Mavs starting five in a year they hope to get back into the NBA Playoffs for the first time since 2015-16. He has turned into the team’s best perimeter defender which is ever important on a team that features Seth Curry and Luka Doncic playing extensive minutes. Head coach Rick Carlise also mentioned during this year’s training camp that he feels comfortable rolling Finney-Smith out as a center in small-ball lineups.

If Lu Dort turned into Dorian Finney-Smith, a great defender who can get things done offensively, the Thunder would be thrilled.

Another undrafted target for Dort to hit is Fred VanVleet. While the two have different play styles, the path to success could be the same. Unlike Finney-Smith, VanVleet only saw 37 games in his rookie season with the Raptors but was absolutely incredible with the organization’s G-League affiliate. From there his career took off, playing in 76 games in 2017-18 and 64 more games in last year’s regular-season that were littered with injuries and personal issues.

In the NBA Finals, on the biggest stage, against the big bad Warriors, Fred VanVleet went from an undrafted G-Leaguer out of Witchita State University to a Finals hero bringing an organization, fanbase, and country their first NBA Championship.

While Finals hero is a bit of a stretch, a key cog in the Thunder’s rotation is not, and not just a member of a bad rotation, but a member of the team when the Thunder become contenders again.

The OKC Thunder could have found themselves a steal in Lu Dort. Are you excited to see more of the young Canadian and do you think he has the goods to ascend into a full-time contributor? Let us know in the comments section.