OKLAHOMA CITY, OKLAHOMA - SEPTEMBER 30: Luguentz Dort #5 of the Oklahoma City Thunder poses for a ... [+]
Luguentz Dort, after playing a single season at Arizona State, appears ready to make an immediate impact for the Oklahoma City Thunder in the 2019-20 season. The Canadian was signed to two-way contract worth $79,568 next season after going undrafted on the night of the 2019 NBA Draft.
Formerly represented by Chris Emens of Octagon, Dort found new representation with Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of Wasserman Media Group in late August, as first reported by Royce Young of ESPN.
Wasserman is one of the world’s most successful sports marketing and talent management companies and is based in Los Angeles. Foucher has a long relationship with the Oklahoma City Thunder after representing Russell Westbrook for many years. Foucher and Smith also represent Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and have a history of success managing young players from Canada.
I was able to sit down with Dort last week and get a feel for his experience in Oklahoma City thus far and what his expectations heading into next season are.
Dort was the highest Arizona State University basketball recruit since James Harden coming out of high school. In his very first college game, he broke the freshman debut points record at Arizona State with 28 points, 9 rebounds, and 3 steals. Dort was one of the Pac 12's best players, averaging 16.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, earning All-Pac-12 Second Team, Pac-12 All-Defense Team, Pac-12 All-Freshman Team, and Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honors.
I asked Dort if he had any desire to go back for a second college season, or if he knew it was time to make the jump to the NBA. “Well, you know when I was first coming out, I thought I should just go for it,” Dort said. “I had a pretty good year and from what my people told me and from what I felt, I was ready to go at the next level.”
With the amount of success he had as a freshman in the Pac-12, it is easy to see why Dort decided to be a one-and-done college player, regardless of how the draft went. He will have just as much opportunity to grow as a player with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G-League as he would in another season of college basketball.
After wearing number 0 in college, the same number Russell Westbrook wore in Oklahoma City for many years, I asked if there was any reason Dort decided to wear number 5 in the NBA. “I don't really have a reason, but it’s a nice number and I had to choose. I asked my mom, and she liked 5, so I went with it.”
With his length and athleticism at 6-foot-4, 215 pounds with a 6-foot-9 wingspan, Dort will have the versatility to play several positions on the court. He has the ball handling ability to play point guard, while also having the strength to post up and score around the basket. In fact, Dort attempted the second most free throws in Pac-12 with 145 last season as a rim attacking scorer. These same physical advantages will allow him to guard several positions on the floor, from point guards to undersized power forwards. In my eyes, his defensive versatility could look something like Marcus Smart’s one day.
When I asked about what personal goals he had for the upcoming season, Dort had a great answer. “Just get better, learn a lot, just about myself and this league also, about my teammates, make good relationships, and just have fun.”
As an undrafted rookie, there is nothing better than to absorb everything you possibly can. With the wide variety of talent he will practice with and play against all season, Dort will see it all. While establishing chemistry with the rest of his teammates, he will also have the privilege of playing alongside NBA veterans Chris Paul and Danilo Gallinari.
On a two-way contract currently, Luguentz Dort is the type of player who could easily convert to a full-time NBA contract midway through the year, just like his teammate Deonte Burton did last season. As of right now, the Oklahoma City Thunder only have 14 of their 15 guaranteed contract spots filled. Could Dort be the player to fill the last spot with a full-time NBA contract?
