Luguentz Dort

As has been the trend throughout most of his career, Dort was a regular starter for the Thunder in 2023-24, starting 79 regular-season appearances while being a consistent presence in the first unit during Oklahoma City's playoff run. However, the starting role didn't prevent Dort from experiencing a regression in most categories for the second consecutive year. Dort's career has been trending in the wrong direction since he averaged 17.2 points per game in the 2021-22 season, and the 10.9 points per game he averaged in 2023-24 was his lowest mark since his rookie year. Dort also regressed in other categories compared to the 2022-23, such as rebounds, assists and steals per game, though at least he drained a career-high 39.4 percent from beyond the arc on 5.0 attempts per game. Things are not looking promising for Dort in 2024-25, as the emergence of Jalen Williams as a reliable scorer, plus the additions of Isaiah Hartenstein and Alex Caruso will translate into Dort moving to a bench role. All signs point to Dort being able to make an impact as a second-unit playmaker and scorer, but the reduced role means he won't be as relevant in fantasy as he's been in previous years. Fantasy managers would be wise to leave Dort on waivers solely based on his projected role and the regression he's experienced over the last 24 months, as the only value he might have would be in deep formats. Even in that scenario, he'd be nothing more than an option for the latter rounds.

Dort has been a massive piece in this Oklahoma City rebuild, but he's falling to the wayside with so many young pieces taking over. Dort was more of a focal point of the offense a few years ago before Shai Gilgeous-Alexander took over, but Dort has to battle Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey and Chet Holmgren for touches now. All of that will likely make Dort an ancillary piece in this offense. In that role last season, Dort averaged 13.7 points, 4.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.8 threes. What's hurt Dort is his efficiency, shooting 39 percent from the field and 33 percent from three-point range. It feels like this team is adding a great player every season, and with every new edition, Dort is getting phased farther and farther out of this offense. That's the natural progression of a team going through a rebuild, though, and it's hard to imagine Dort remaining a fantasy-relevant player if this team is going to make the leaps that most people anticipate. He doesn't need to be drafted in standard leagues.

One of the most promising young wing players in The Association, Dort enjoyed a career year during the 2021-22 season -- his third campaign in the NBA. He averaged 17.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game, both career-best numbers, and he supplemented that with 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 0.4 blocks per contest. He also posted career-best numbers in field goal percentage (40.4 percent) and free throw percentage (84.3 percent), though the durability remains a concern. He played in 51 games, and while his first two years in the league were during the shortened seasons due to the pandemic, it's worth noting that he hasn't played more than 52 games in any of the three years he's spent in the league so far. Regardless of those concerns, Dort is a solid pickup in most formats since he's widely expected to be one of the top contributors for the Thunder, especially now that Chet Holmgren will miss the entire season due to a foot injury. He could be in line for another strong year worthy of a late-round selection in standard leagues.

Dort really broke onto the scene in the 2020 bubble playoffs when he was the player primarily tasked with guarding James Harden. Dort was also left alone from three but kept launching, going 13-for-50 (26.0%) in the six-game series. Despite the struggles, it became clear that the Thunder would feature Dort more in 2020-21. That happened, with the sophomore wing averaging 14.0 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 1.3 combined steals-plus-blocks in 29.7 minutes. Most notably, he made strides as a three-point shooter, hitting 2.2 per game at a passable 34.3 percent. He also became marginally more confident finding his own shot and dishing to teammates, though that's hardly the focus of his game. Dort is one of the better defenders in the NBA, and it's likely his offense will always lag behind. That said, there will continue to be plenty of opportunities for Dort to expand his game while with the deep-rebuild Thunder. The 22-year-old should continue starting at shooting guard and seeing roughly 30 minutes per game. He ranked just outside of the top 200 last season, but fantasy managers shouldn't be surprised if he can creep closer to the top 150 mark.

Dort went undrafted out of Arizona State, though he found a meaningful role with Oklahoma City in his first NBA campaign. The first-year wing averaged 6.8 points and 2.3 boards across 22.8 minutes as a key contributor off the bench in the Thunder's surprisingly successful season. Dort started the season with the Thunder's G-League affiliate but latched on to the parent club in December. Dort alternated time between the NBA and G-League for the next month before becoming a full-time starter at the end of January. Dort saw plenty of run in the playoffs, and he capped off the season with a season-high 30 points in the Thunder's Game 7 loss to the Rockets in the first round. Dort's late-season surge in the scoring department was due to multiple injuries in the Thunder's lineup, and he's not expected to take on a substantial offensive workload in 2020-21. Dort isn't an adept shooter, but he's made his bones as a defender, particularly one who isn't afraid to guard the opposing team's best player. Dort should be a full-time starter for the rebuilding Thunder this season, and he could be drafted as a specialist for defensive categories in upcoming fantasy drafts.