After trading Luguentz Dort to the Hawks in a three-team deal that sent back three second-round picks to the Thunder, general manager Sam Presti gave an interview to Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman to discuss the trade.
Presti said at the end of the season that if anything was going to change the personnel makeup of the team he had so painstakingly constructed, it would be the financial realities affecting an increasingly expensive roster, and he doubled down on that stance when asked about it by Martinez.
“This was a financial decision,” Presti said. “The impression I have been given is that the savings generated this summer, and from being out of the tax the last several years, will be reallocated to future teams. Along with other new well-documented revenue streams, this will allow us to make more basketball-related decisions over the next several years.”
By trading Dort and taking no salary back, the Thunder will save $100MM in projected salary and tax penalties while giving themselves the space to sign a player with their 15th roster spot without going back into second-apron territory, according to Yossi Gozlan of The Third Apron (Twitter link).
The move was not made due to second apron restrictions, however, but rather the luxury tax savings, Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman notes (via Twitter).
“We have a team that is capable of contention. And as I understand it, the decisions this summer have positioned us financially to maintain a team of this caliber,” Presti said.
Presti added that he has a longstanding relationship with Dort and had been incredibly impressed by his mentality and makeup.
“I just remember saying to him that this was the beginning and not the end, that on draft night things are aligned vertically 1-to-60, but the morning after everyone is lined up side by side horizontally at an imaginary starting line,” Presti reminisced. “It’s safe to say that he will finish amongst the top of that race. I love the guy, love what he’s about and we will miss him.”
As for what comes next, Presti noted that young guards Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell last season and in the playoffs that they’re ready to take on additional responsibilities. Rather than trying to fit one or the other into the role that Dort played so well, Presti says the team will have to adjust to the skill sets of those two.
“[It] has always been our belief, it is necessary to embrace change and not fall victim to trying to imitate ourselves or our previous play style,” he said.
Presti also noted that while financial constraints made it necessary to move Dort, Aaron Wiggins, and Isaiah Joe this offseason, those three were crucial to the team’s success in recent years and the decision to part with them was not easy.
I fear we all knew that already lol
Thybulle makes a ton of sense here
Nice shout, apb.
He would be a great fit with this roster.
Yes and his shooting has gotten better
Well yeah they all love him as a person and would have kept him around along with Joe and Wiggins if possible. Dort is not a better overall player than Wallace who needs to start. Ajay is also looking like a better overall player as his defense is solid enough.
Dort was playing less in playoffs when the team had multiple injuries, he didn’t up his offensive game during that. Wish him luck and the team will do something for him whenever he retires. He just wasn’t worth hitting 2nd apron and a repeat the following year.
Dort is overpaid. Why you give him that contract.
Well duh… I think even Stevie Wonder saw that…
They need their youth to fill in for them… They will not be the same defensive team without him…
OKC really need a bounce back year from Chet… Otherwise they will find it hard to compete until his contract is up…
Chet needs to hit the weight room or he will continue to be exposed.
A bounce back year? Holmgren has a career year last season. He was one of the top 40 players in the league at 24.
Dort should blame Holmgren and Williams and their bloated co tracts for this.
has two first and a pick swap at his disposal in the 2027 draft to replace him
They are content with that one championship. A couple of more early playoff exits and they are blowing that team up to save money.
They haven’t had an early playoff exit in what 3 seasons now? I mean eventually SGA, J-dub and Holmgren will get older so yeah it’s bound to happen at some point.
This isn’t the NBA of a few years ago. The league passed the worst CBA in all of sports for the sole purpose of destroying the warriors and preventing another team from dominating the league. No team can keep all their guys. This is the price you pay for being unable to beat the warriors on the court.
@ Davey. You’ve posted just this at least ten times. Nobody responded under Davey, lols.
Its amazing that in just a few years.
They have developed 6 sg/sf that are starters or close enough.
Dort, Wiggins, Joe, Wallace, Ajay, Jaylen.
And acquired another young one McCain.
That and the fact that he did nothing in the playoffs. Same with Wiggins and Joe. Mitchell and Wallace are upgrades. Their big issue is that Chet is not the player they had hoped he’d be.
Yeah, I don’t think the Thunder envisioned Chet becoming the second most impactful defensive player in the league and averaging 17ppg while shooting .557/.362 from the field in his 4th season.
LeBron to OKC confirmed
it was time to cash out on Lou Dort. Fan favorite but, his ceiling has been reached already.
Jaylin Williams, Sorber and Topic could have been traded out instead of Dort
So trade tons of depth, especially in the middle to keep Dort in a spot you have depth?
Love only runs so deep
The price here was 3 2Nd rders!
Where is the owner saying the complete opposite? Oh, okc are on the same page and telling the truth. That’s what fans want. Can’t wait to watch PG13 earn over $100 million dollars next two seasons though.