Does LeBron James to OKC Thunder now make sense with open roster spot?

Saying goodbye to a longtime starter, the Oklahoma City Thunder suddenly have an open roster spot. They traded Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal. It was the third salary dump of the offseason as they get below the second apron and save a boatload of money in tax penalties.

For now, Thunder fans are grieving Dort's exit. The 27-year-old spent seven seasons in OKC from 2019-26. In that time, he became one of their best developmental stories. The undrafted two-way rookie graduated into an All-Defense member and NBA champion.

But once folks are ready to move on from Dort's departure, the next item on the agenda is the open roster spot the Thunder created. Do they fill it with an outside addition or enter the 2026-27 season with just a 14-man standard roster? If they go with the former, dare I say the LeBron James route suddenly opens up — even if it's just a smidge opening.

Three weeks into July, we're still waiting to see where James calls his new NBA home. The 41-year-old is doing all of us a solid by taking his time. It's one of the last couple of big moves to make left this summer. Heck, even NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is waiting to see where he goes so they can officially jot down the 2026-27 regular season schedule.

Reading the tea leaves, James' interest is down to three teams — the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. And with NBA super agent Rich Paul saying he'll take his time before making a decision, it seems like it's not too late for the Thunder to reach out and make a last-second pitch. They're now below the second apron. Which means they have roster and financial flexibility to sign him to a short-term deal.

But should they? Ehh. Not really.

Even with the Dort trade slightly opening the door, it's still not a wide-enough opening for James to walk through. Just doesn't make sense for the Thunder — both for on-court and off-court reasons — to add the 22-time NBA All-Star.

On the court, James' fit in OKC would be a little odd. Would he be cool with being the fourth banana behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren? Feels like part of the reason why he left the Los Angeles Lakers was that Luka Doncic superseded him in the totem pole. Something tells me that the 41-year-old is willing to take a smaller role, but not to the point where he's the fourth-best guy.

Off the court, are the Thunder willing to deal with the extra attention James will bring to OKC? I just don't think so. They have a healthy locker room culture. Everybody knows their roles. Gilgeous-Alexander is at the top of things. If he joined, the dynamics would certainly change. And considering the media circus that the 41-year-old carries by being a billion-dollar one-man machine, I just don't think they'd have the appetite for the theatrics involved.

We'll see what the Thunder do with their open roster spot. At this point, I feel like their roster is set. But if they do make an addition, I think it'd be someone cool with being the 15th man off the bench. Rather than a big-time name like James — who'd completely shake up OKC's core.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: Does LeBron James to OKC Thunder now make sense with open roster spot?