Hated Spurs rival Thunder may soon be forced to dump despised player

As the NBA regular season winds down, the playoff race is heating up. The San Antonio Spurs are still hoping to catch the Oklahoma City Thunder in the standings, as they are only a couple of games behind OKC in the loss column.

It may not ultimately matter, with the Thunder possibly facing a tougher route to the Western Conference Finals. There, they may go up against a Spurs team that has beaten them four times this season.

Still, that potential matchup could be a tough one for San Antonio, especially with them going up against Lu Dort. Dort is a hardnosed defender who will likely be tasked with slowing down Stephon Castle or De'Aaron Fox.

However, Spurs fans know him for seemingly trying to injure Victor Wembanyama. Dort's villain arc has only worsened after that reckless play.

In fact, in just the last two weeks, he's had two run-ins with superstar Nikola Jokic, with him appearing to trip the 3-time MVP and also elbow him in the face. That hasn't helped him or the Thunder gain many new fans.

To his credit, he is an elite defender and someone who can hurt the Spurs, but perhaps not for long.

The Spurs' rival, the Thunder, may lose Lu Dort this summer

According to CBS Sports' Sam Quinn, the Thunder may not be able to keep Dort beyond this season due to salary cap constraints.

OKC may have to decline his team option for next season and replace him internally. That could be great for San Antonio, as it would make the Thunder worse.

After all, part of their success has been their elite defense with two fantastic perimeter defenders in Dort and Alex Caruso, as well as two good rim protectors in Chet Holmgren and Isaiah Hartenstein. Losing Dort could weaken their vaunted defense. Especially if Jared McCain replaces him.

McCain is much more of an offensive player, and while he may help OKC score, he could also provide teams with a weak link to attack defensively. How the Thunder cut costs this summer will affect the Spurs, who may have to do the same.

The Spurs may eventually have to make painful roster moves

OKC could choose to make a bold move by parting ways with both Dort and Hartenstein, replacing them with recent first-round picks: McCain, Nikola Topic, and Thomas Sorber.

That would save them significant salary but worsen their roster in the short term. Or, as Quinn points out, OKC might opt for a less drastic option by moving on from Dort and perhaps Aaron Wiggins and re-signing Hartenstein.

San Antonio could soon have to make similar roster moves like that by perhaps letting Keldon Johnson leave in free agency after next season. They may also have to let Devin Vassell leave in free agency too in the summer of 2029.

Fortunately, San Antonio could replace both with a combination of Julian Champagnie, Dylan Harper, and Carter Bryant.

All told, San Antonio may not have to deal with Dort on the Thunder much longer. Better yet, the Thunder could be worse off without him next season, with their elite-level defense potentially taking a hit.