1 player is expected to be the odd man out on the Thunder

The Oklahoma City Thunder may already have their most prominent roster cut in mind.

Thunder swingman Luguentz Dort is expected to be the odd man out this offseason, Kurt Helin of NBC Sports reported this week. Helin notes that Oklahoma City holds a $17.7 million team option on Dort this summer.

Dort, 27, is tied for the longest-tenured player on the Thunder with superstar teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, having been with the team since 2019. He is known as a top-class perimeter defender and made the All-Defensive First Team in 2025 en route to helping Oklahoma City winning the NBA championship later that year as well.

But Dort is coming off a nightmare 2026 postseason in which he averaged just 5.5 points per game and shot an unacceptable 30.8 percent from deep. As a result, Dort lost plenty of minutes throughout the playoffs to the likes of Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace (who are also strong defenders but with more consistent offensive games).

Seven-footer Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5 million team option this summer) is the other player that the Thunder may have to make a tough decision on. But Hartenstein is far less replaceable, especially with a need to shore up the frontcourt against rival big men like Victor Wembanyama, so Dort could indeed be left without a chair once the music stops.

We learned earlier this week that Gilgeous-Alexander might be offering an endorsement for Oklahoma City to keep Dort this offseason. But with a need to avoid the second apron of the luxury tax, somebody on the Thunder roster may inevitably have to get the boot here.