Oklahoma City will be hoping for some internal development next season, and getting a bounce-back year from a starter could be huge.

Over the next few weeks, the Thunder will be making decisions on what next season’s roster will look like. While there was always a chance the Thunder could make a big move, given their pool of assets, the 2025 champions seem ready to mostly run it back.

Of course, there are some important names that could end up elsewhere, including Lu Dort. However, it seems like both the Thunder and Dort are interested in sticking together next season if it makes sense this offseason.

Along with a potential pay cut, Dort may also have to settle for a role coming off the bench, particularly if Cason Wallace gets a long-term extension over the summer. In any case, if Dort ends up back in Oklahoma City for his eighth NBA season, he’ll need to have a better year shooting the three.

After spending the first four years of his career being known as the type of player you want to leave open from beyond the arc, Dort spent the 2024 and 2025 seasons as one of the Thunder’s most reliable shooters. Knocking down 39.4% of his shots in 2024 and 41.2% in 2025, Dort was key to the Thunder’s success and jump to the top seed in the West.

However, his shooting took a dive after the Thunder won their first championship. Last season, Dort nailed only 34.4% of his shots from beyond the arc, which is more in line with the type of shooting numbers he produced in his first few seasons.

That outside shooting decline, coupled with Oklahoma City having Alex Caruso and Cason Wallace, led to Dort playing the fewest regular season minutes per game since his rookie year and his fewest postseason minutes per game of his career overall by a wide margin. With his shooting declining again in the postseason to 30.8% from deep, Dort remained in the starting lineup but wasn’t playing starter minutes.

If the Thunder bring him back next season, his defensive intensity and ability to stifle opposing stars will continue to bring value. However, his outside shooting in 2024 and 2025 truly set him apart as an integral role player for the Thunder, and they’ll need Dort to return to that form to continue justifying a significant role.