Tag: two-way contract

Discussion to covert Lu Dort’s contract likely not until end of season

Dort had 16 days of service remaining on his two-way contract coming into Tuesday. He’s averaging 6.1 points in 23 games for OKC this year.

Lu Dort has played like he deserves a standard contract.

The undrafted rookie out of Arizona State has stepped into the starting role and made it his own over the last six weeks.

He started the 15th game of his career on Tuesday night, the most for any two-way player since two-way contracts were first introduced back in 2017.

The clock is ticking on Dort’s 45 days with the Thunder, and although a standard contract does seem to be on the horizon, Royce Young of ESPN doesn’t expect a deal to come all that soon.

According to Young, Dort had 16 of his 45 days remaining coming into Tuesday night. As Dort is not practicing with the team so as not to count against his time, Oklahoma City could stretch the days he has left through March 28, which is “through the G-League season where days of service no longer count”.

It’s for that reason that Young believes the “conversations to sign Dort likely don’t pick up until after the G-League season and closer to the end of the NBA regular season”.

He does point out that for Dort to play in the postseason, his contract would have to be converted.

Dort himself doesn’t seem to be too worried about when that happens.

He told Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman that the Thunder “know what they’re doing” and that he’s just “staying patient and playing basketball”.

Until his contract is converted, a lot of that basketball is on his own.

“I’ve got to do stuff on my own just to stay in good condition and stuff like that,” Dort said. “It’s not that tough. The fact I can watch them so I can still learn the plays and stuff like that. But the fact I don’t run, I’ve got to [do] stuff on my own.”

According to Mussatto, Dort also spends time after practice working one-on-one with Thunder coaches, time that does not count against his 45 days.

Start No. 15 a historic one for Lu Dort

Dort earned his 15th start on Tuesday night, the most starts by a two-way player since two-way contracts were introduced in 2017.

Lu Dort earned the 15th start of his young career on Tuesday night against the Bulls.

If the last five weeks have been any indication of his potential future career, there will be a lot more to come.

Initially billed as a defensive stopper when he stepped into the starting rotation in place of Terrance Ferguson, Dort has built a reputation as a scorer as well, including going a perfect 6-of-6 from the floor in Oklahoma City’s win over the Spurs on Sunday.

Regardless of the final box, Dort’s start on Tuesday was particularly special.

According to the Thunder, Dort’s 15th start marked the most by a two-way player since two-way contracts were first introduced in 2017.

Oklahoma City signed Dort to a two-way contract on June 21 after the guard went undrafted after just one season at Arizona State.

Dort’s two-way contract allows him to spend just 45 total days with the Thunder.

To help extend his time in Oklahoma City, Dort has not been practicing with the team and instead relying on film study to help him prepare for opponents.

Coming into Tuesday night against Chicago, Dort was averaging 6.4 points and 1.5 rebounds in 21 minutes per game.

However, over his last 10 games, those figures have increased to 8.2 points and 1.9 rebounds per game. During that span, he’s also shooting 47% from the field.

But Dort’s newfound success is more than just the numbers.

After Oklahoma City’s statement win over the Denver Nuggets on Feb. 21, Chris Paul said that people “don’t understand” the importance of Dort and that he “makes all the plays that nobody else would”.

Dennis Schroder has been just as complimentary, saying that Dort is “changing the game”.

Coincidentally, as Dort’s playing time and numbers increase, so does the amount of media that wants to talk to the Thunder rookie.

Lu Dort not practicing with Thunder…for a very specific reason

Dort is signed to a two-way contract this year, meaning he can only spend 45 total days with the Thunder, including games and practice.

Lu Dort isn’t practicing with the Thunder.

That might seem incredibly strange for a player that has recently made his way into the starting rotation, but it’s a necessity for Dort not to practice…for a very specific reason.

Dort is signed to a two-way contract this season, meaning that in splitting time between the Thunder’s NBA G League affiliate, the OKC Blue, and the Thunder, Dort can spend a total of 45 days with Oklahoma City. That includes games and practice.

So there’s no time to waste.

Billy Donovan told Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman that they’ve been keeping Dort up to speed through constant film sessions.

“You’ve got to watch a lot of film with him,” Donovan said. “You’ve got to catch him up. He’s got to certainly watch and spectate. All those things become important, following the rules in terms of how we can best keep him engaged to what’s going on and what we’re doing.”

Dort stepped into the starting rotation when Terrance Ferguson missed eight straight games during the month of January.

Although he did score a career-high 23 points in Oklahoma City’s win over the Sacramento Kings on Jan. 29, Donovan told Lee that Dort has also filled the much-needed role of defensive stopper.

“He’s really defended well,” Donovan said of the rookie. “I think what I look at more than anything else is the fact that every matchup that he’s going against is for the first time in his career, and he’ll learn a lot though that.”

Dort has played in 17 games so far for Oklahoma City, with nine starts. He’s averaging 7.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and .8 steals per game.

He has started both games since Ferguson returned to practice on Feb. 3, and is likely to start on Sunday when the Thunder host the Boston Celtics.

The countdown is on for Lu Dort and his Two-Way Contract

Oklahoma City signed Dort to a Two-Way contract on July 6 after he went undrafted in the 2019 NBA Draft. Dort has started six games for OKC.

Lu Dort is the darling of Oklahoma City.

The rookie has stepped into the starting rotation in place of Terrance Ferguson after Ferguson left at the half of OKC’s loss to Miami on Jan. 17 and has yet to return.

Dort has shined as a defensive stopper, drawing some of the most difficult assignments in the league, including Houston’s James Harden and the Mavs’ Luka Doncic.

Dort has shown that he’s worth having on the court.

Now, he just needs to know whether or not the Thunder feel he’s worth a full-time contract.

Dort is one of 60 players that are currently signed to a two-way contract. And, as noted by Joe Mussatto of The Oklahoman, two-way contracts come with a catch: players signed to a two-way contract can only spend up to 45 days in the NBA.

Dort told Mussatto that he hasn’t been keeping track of the amount of time he’s spent with the Thunder this season.

“I don’t monitor it at all,” Donovan said last week. “Really it’s the front office. Obviously I’m in contact with them and they give me updates of what’s going on.”

Per Musatto, Dort is playing the most meaningful minutes of those players signed to a two-way contract, even if he isn’t playing the most minutes overall. He’s the only two-way player in the league this year that has cracked a starting rotation.

In his six starts, Oklahoma City is 5-1. And they do have a spot on their 15-man roster.

Dort is averaging 21.2 minutes per game, scoring 6.3 points per contest.

Against the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Dort scored a career-high 23 points, 12 of those coming in the third quarter alone.

There have been a lot of questions about what Sam Presti is going to do as the Feb. 6 trade deadline approaches. Maybe the move is just to officially move Dort to a full-time contract.

Warriors duo top two-way contract players in multiple stat categories

Ky Bowman is leading all two-way contract players in scoring through the 2019-20 NBA season.

The Golden State Warriors haven’t led many categories in the 2019-20 NBA season; in fact, it’s almost the opposite of the past. The Warriors are on a season-high nine-game losing streak with a record that sits at the bottom of the Western Conference.

The Warriors’ down season has primarily come due to injuries, but within the wreckage, the door has opened for a bevy of young members on the Golden State roster.

The Warriors have had to dip deep into their rotation, leaning heavily on two-way contract players. Ky Bowman, Damion Lee and now Marquese Chriss have all received significant playing time.

Lee has been impressive enough for Golden State to convert his two-way contract into a multi-year deal with the full-time squad. To open a spot for Lee, the Warriors waived Chriss but quickly brought him back on a two-way agreement once Lee’s contract was converted.

Before accepting his full-time NBA deal, Lee led all two-way contract players in scoring with another member of Golden State, Bowman, right behind him. Miami Heat two-way guard Chris Silva followed the Warriors duo in scoring before also being converted to a full-time deal in Miami.

Now, with Chriss on a two-way deal, his numbers from earlier in the NBA season sit on top of two-way contract leaders, beating out Bowman as the leading scorer.

Chriss’s 272 points lead Bowman by one point with 271 on the season. The Warriors pairing of Chriss and Bowman lead all two-way contract players in not only total points but rebounds, assists, steals and minutes.

Bowman is averaging 7.5 points per game, 2.6 assists and 2.9 rebounds per game in 36 games played. The Boston College product has limited service time remaining on his contract before his two-way deal expires. However, the Warriors do have the option of sending him to the G League until they can offer him a full-time deal.

Recently, Golden State sent Bowman to their G League affiliate in Santa Cruz for a short stint in the G League, where he threw down a windmill slam dunk.

With Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Kevon Looney all dealing with injuries that have taken them out for a significant part of the 2019-20 season, the Warriors will need to continue to rely on the service of their two-way contracted players. Chriss and Bowman’s statistical hold on the rest of the two-way contract talent in the NBA should continue to grow.

With contract not finalized, Damion Lee out for second straight game

The Warriors will be without Damion Lee against the Dallas Mavericks as his two-way contract service time has expired and his full-time NBA deal has yet to be finalized.

It’s usually been injuries that’s hampered the Golden State Warriors 2019-20 season, but with Damion Lee, things are a little more complicated. The Warriors will be without Lee when Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks roll into San Francisco Tuesday night. However, Lee is not dealing with an injury.

Lee is still on his two-way contract with the Golden State Warriors, and he’s exhausted the 45-day service time limit on his deal. Until his full-time contract is finalized with the Dubs, he will be relegated to the bench.

Two-way contract players are only allowed to spend 45-days with their NBA club, with the rest of their time spent in the G League. Against the Los Angeles Clippers last week, Lee spent the last of his 45-days with Golden State.

Before capping his two-way contract, the Golden State Warriors waived Marquese Chriss to reportedly open up a full-time spot on the roster for Lee.

https://twitter.com/wojespn/status/1214429755648413696?s=20

Due to their salary cap restrictions, Lee is stuck waiting while the Warriors finalize his contract, costing the shooting guard two-straight games.

While Lee isn’t suited up, he’s still expected to remain in Golden State for the future. Connor Letourneau of the San Francisco Chronicle reported this should be the last game Lee misses, as he’s expected to have a multi-year contract finalized soon.

The Warriors could use Lee’s service as they’ve dropped eight straight games, triggering their season-high losing streak for the 2019-20 NBA season. While Golden State has struggled to find a win, Lee has played well, earning a starting role for the Warriors.

Lee has started 13-straight games before hitting his 45-day limit on his two-way contract. The Baltimore native is averaging 12.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game for Golden State this season.

Report: Two-way player Kevin Hervey available against Memphis

The Oklahoma City Thunder announced Thursday afternoon that two-way player, Kevin Hervey, will be available against the Memphis Grizzlies.

Kevin Hervey will be available tonight for the Thunder when they host the Memphis Grizzlies.

The team announced the decision earlier Thursday afternoon, as reported by both Maddie Lee of The Oklahoman and Erik Horne of The Athletic.

Hervey was at pregame shootaround getting in extra work with Hamidou Diallo, who is still out with a hyperextended right elbow injury.

Oklahoma City signed Hervey to a Two-Way Contract on December 11. Hervey has spent the season with the Thunder’s NBA G-League affiliate, the OKC Blue. In six games for the Blue, Hervey is averaging 15.8 points and 9.2 rebounds per game and shooting 45% from the field.

In a loss to the Agua Caliente Clippers in November, Hervey went for a double-double, scoring 18 points and grabbing 15 rebounds.

Oklahoma City will look to stay hot with their fifth straight win and their second over the Grizzlies in the last eight days.

On December 18, the Thunder came from 24 points down to defeat Memphis 126-122 behind 31 points from Dennis Schroder.

Danilo Gallinari will not be available on Thursday due to a sore ankle. He scored 20 points in OKC’s four-point win eight days ago.