ASU Basketball: Luguentz Dort signs multi-year deal with Oklahoma City Thunder

Former Arizona State guard Luguentz Dort has signed a multi-year contract with the Oklahoma City Thunder. The news was first reported by Marc Stein of the New York Times.

Just over a year ago, Dort was one of two Sun Devils (Zylan Cheatham was the other) who went undrafted in the NBA Draft. The guard who spent one year at ASU ended up signing a two-way deal with Oklahoma City last July.

He spent parts of the season with the Thunder’s G League affiliate before making a splash with OKC coach Billy Donovan.

Dort started 21 games, and in that span, the Thunder were 16-5. The Canadian rookie averaged 6.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.8 steals in 22 minutes per game, as OKC was sitting in a playoff spot as the fifth-seed in the Western Conference before the Coronavirus pandemic stalled the regular season.

The NBA season is picking back up on July 30 in Orlando. Although two-way players are allowed to participate in these contests, the signing of Dort means that the Thunder can add another two-way player, and the ASU product will have more stability being that he doesn’t have to test the market as a free agent after this season.

As a Sun Devil, Dort was the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year in 2019. Although some were unsure of his declaration for the next level, Dort proved his worth on Jan. 20 when he helped shut down his Sun Devil brethren, holding 2018 NBA MVP James Harden to a 1-17 shooting clip from three-point range in a 112-107 win over the Houston Rockets.

Dort also had his biggest offensive outburst when he dropped 23 points on 8-12 shooting against the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 29, marking a career-high for the first-year player.

After going undrafted, it appears the Sun Devil has a bright future ahead as part of a young core with the Thunder. And to add icing to the cake, Dort also agreed to the deal on his mother’s birthday.