Thunder enter camp with unsettled shooting guard spot after Lu Dort trade

Cason Wallace is the frontrunner for Lu Dort's old starting job in Oklahoma City, but Alex Caruso and Jared McCain give Mark Daigneault other options at shooting guard.

The Oklahoma City Thunder arrive at 2026-27 training camp with an unfamiliar vacancy in their starting lineup. Defensive stopper Lu Dort was traded during the offseason for financial reasons, and while guard Cason Wallace is viewed as the leading candidate to fill the opening, the job has not been promised to anyone.

For years, Oklahoma City has paired a star-heavy first five with role-playing rotation pieces and developing young talent on a roster widely considered the deepest in the league. The starting unit itself had remained largely unchanged through the team's rise to contention.

That group features Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, winner of back-to-back MVP awards, alongside All-Stars Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, with Isaiah Hartenstein handling traditional big-man duties and Dort having served as the designated defensive specialist. The defensive standard is not tied to one player, either: Holmgren, Williams and Gilgeous-Alexander are each regarded as top-tier defenders even while carrying major offensive loads.

Wallace, a defense-first guard who plays Dort's position, is seen as the most logical successor and, per the report, now stands as the team's best defender. Adding him to the first five would take more ball-handling responsibility off Gilgeous-Alexander's shoulders than Dort ever did, and Wallace also supplies reliable catch-and-shoot value.

The complication is role. A starter in Oklahoma City rarely ranks higher than fourth in the offensive hierarchy, and Wallace has shown he can handle more — when injuries struck the Thunder last season, he thrived as a first-choice scorer and lead playmaker rather than as a complementary off-guard. With a lucrative next contract believed to be approaching, driven by his shooting, defense and larger offensive ceiling, there is a case that his full skill set would be better used while anchoring the second unit.

Alex Caruso presents the veteran alternative. His defense has held up against both guards and big men, he plays with constant energy and effort, and that versatility would allow coach Mark Daigneault to assign him to whatever matchup matters most on any given night.

Jared McCain offers a different profile as a strong 3-point shooter. Sharing the floor with a group of All-Stars would create plenty of open looks for him, which could make a smaller-usage starting role a natural fit.

The uncertainty at the two extends beyond Dort. Oklahoma City also traded Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins during the offseason, and all three departed players had logged minutes at shooting guard, leaving the position thinner than it has been at any point in the team's recent run.

However the competition resolves, Daigneault is expected to spread minutes across the roster, with players possibly carrying a large role one night and a minimal one the next. Building a dynasty and returning to the NBA Finals remain the organization's goals, but after the offseason subtractions, the Thunder open the season facing more questions than they have in several years.