In a surprising move, the Oklahoma City Thunder declined Lu Dort’s $1.9 million team option for the 2022-23 season, per The Athletic’s Shams Charania.
The Oklahoma City Thunder are declining the $1.9 million team option on froward Lu Dort for 2022-23 season, which makes him a restricted free agent and allows sides to negotiate a new deal in free agency, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 29, 2022
Dort will now enter restricted free agency, which means the Thunder will have a chance to match any offer sheet thrown at Dort.
This is opposite of what Thunder general manager Sam Presti said during this past Saturday’s rookie presser, where he said the team will likely wait out contract extension negotiations until next summer.
It is now a wait-and-see game as the market for Dort is unknown as of now. NBA free agency is scheduled to begin on July 1.