Lu Dort must come off the bench, or he must be cut loose by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
That's a harsh statement, but it's the reality for the seven-year veteran. Dort has played a key role in the rise of this Thunder team, but given the team's financial situation and the rising stars across the roster, Dort has to accept a new role.
Lu Dort has always started
That is easier said than done, of course. Dort has started for essentially his entire time in the NBA. By midway through his rookie season, he had earned his way into the starting lineup, and he has started all the way through. Out of his 486 career games, he has come off the bench in just nine of them.
How could the Thunder ask him to come off the bench? it's not as if his game has cratered. He remains one of the league's stoutest defenders, long and fast enough to defend opposing guards and strong enough to take on combo forwards and even some bigs. His versatility on defense is fantastic.
On offense, it's a different question, of course. His shooting cratered this year after two solid seasons, down to 34.4 percent from deep and only 38.5 percent from the field. In the playoffs, things got even worse. In 15 games, he shot 30.8 percent from deep and 36.6 percent from the field.
The Thunder have better options
It would be one thing to try and work around Dort's limitations because of his elite defensive impact on the perimeter. The reality, however, if that the Thunder are flush with other options.
Cason Wallace has real on-ball juice and can defend 1-3 like few others. Alex Caruso is best deployed off the bench but can fill his defensive role with ease. When he is healthy, Jalen Williams is an All-Defense-level defender as well.
The Thunder should start Wallace and Jalen Williams on the wing and move Dort to the bench. Head coach Mark Daigneault should have a frank conversation and explain how the upside of the team is in these guards they have invested in.
Can Lu Dort come off the bench?
If Dort loves it on the Thunder and is amenable to coming off the bench, fantastic. The Thunder will likely decline his team option and bring him back on a less expensive, multi-year contract.
If he is not, however, or the Thunder don't believe he can thrive in that situation, then it's time to move on. Ideally, they would find a team interested in Dort without the cap space to sign him and work out a trade for an asset. Declining his team option and allowing him to walk would also work, clearing his money completely off of their books.
The Thunder love Dort. Thunder fans love Dort. He is an emotional catalyst for this team. But at some point, a championship team needs to make hard choices.
Lu Dort must be ready to come off the bench. If he isn't, he must be ready to find a new home.
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