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Oklahoma City Thunder's Lu Dort staying on 5-year, $87.5 million deal

Shooting guard Lu Dort has agreed to a five-year, $87.5 million deal to stay with the Oklahoma City Thunder, agents Thad Foucher and Joe Smith of Wasserman told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

Dort, 23, who is considered one of the NBA's best wing defenders, signed with the Thunder in 2019 as an undrafted rookie on a two-way contract and emerged as a starter for Oklahoma City's playoff team that season. Dort's contract was converted to a four-year minimum deal before the league's 2020 restart in the Orlando bubble.

The Thunder did not pick up the team option for 2022-23, allowing Dort to become a restricted free agent and negotiate a new deal to stay in Oklahoma City, where he has established himself as part of the rebuilding franchise's core.

The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Dort has started 131 of the 139 games that he has played in for the Thunder, averaging 13.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists per game in his career.

With the Thunder in rebuilding mode, Dort has had the freedom to expand his offensive game over the past two seasons. He averaged a career-best 17.2 points per game in 2021-22, shooting 40.4% from the floor and 33.2% from 3-point range, before he was shut down for the season in February due to a shoulder injury that was surgically repaired in March.