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Bobby Marks breaks down long-term benefits of Lu Dort trade appeared first on ClutchPoints. Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
In a move that was widely regarded as being influenced by the second-apron, the Oklahoma City Thunder sent Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team trade, taking back only draft picks in return rather than additional salary. The Thunder stand to save quite a bit of money in luxury tax, and they avoid the second apron, as per ESPN NBA insider Bobby Marks.
But it’s not just avoiding the second-apron and luxury tax savings as being the impetus for why the Thunder made the Lu Dort trade. There are productive young players on the Thunder roster, players who are better overall than Lu Dort in Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, whom the organization can now focus on giving long-term contracts.
“Now it gives them the financial resources to go out and extend Cason Wallace this offseason, and extend Ajay Mitchell next offseason,” Marks said during a recent ESPN segment of ‘NBA Today.’ “And most important, their core three players haven’t been touched in this in Shai, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren still on this roster.
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“Yes, you lose a starter, but in the long run, I do think it can benefit Oklahoma City just based on how they’re allocating their finances.”
Dort had been the longest-tenured player on the team, signing as an undrafted free agent via two-way contract ahead of the 2019-20 season. He was praised for his defensive intensity and giving the Thunder a true point-of-attack defender. However, it does make more sense to prioritize players like Wallace and Mitchell, better all-around players than Dort, for the future.
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