When Dott brought his family to New York's Barclays Center in June 2019, the Montreal-North boy was eager to hear his name ring.
However, he was not selected, 1.91 meters he was expected to be a first-round pick, disappointed he plans to return to Arizona State University to continue playing.
Fortunately, on the way back to the hotel Dott received a call from Thunder management, who offered him a two-way contract.
Although Dott will have to play in the D-League first, that means he has a chance to step on the NBA court. Recalled from the home team in December, Dott made his league debut against the Timberwolves.
He played only about seven minutes in that game, which the team won in overtime, and he scored one rebound in the game.
The good news is that Dott has earned the manager's trust with his aggressive defense, and he has received more playing time.
In an interview with the Montreal Gazette, Dott said: "I was very disappointed with the results of the draft, I kept hearing other players' names, and even some players I didn't like were called. I'm eager to get on stage and wear a team's own cap, it means something special to every player."
By late January, Dott had been playing well on both ends of the floor, scoring a career-high 23 points in a win over the Kings, and he had made his defensive prowess felt by many of the league's best shooters.
After the league rematch, Dot played a good performance in the first round series against the Rockets, especially his restrictions on the Rockets star Harden.
In the last game, Dott only allowed Harden to score 18 points, while he scored 30. Although the Thunder lost the series, fans and Harden were impressed with the 21-year-old Dott.
After the season, the Thunder converted Dott's two-way contract to a four-year, $5.4 million deal.
He said: "From participating in the draft to now seems like a dream, after several twists and turns, I finally played the performance I want, no matter how difficult the future I will not give up myself." Only by remaining humble and remembering the original intention can I go far. When I feel confused, I will recall my past. All achievements are made by hard work and sweat.
He was the fifth child of Haitian immigrants, along with four other siblings, and his father was a school superintendent in Haiti.
Dott was a soccer goalkeeper until he was 12 years old, when he was introduced to basketball on the courts of Parc-Extension.
"Life was tough there," Dott recalls of growing up. "A lot of my friends went astray. I probably would have gone dark if it wasn't for basketball."
Once Dott was introduced to Cavaliers basketball program director Nelson Osay, Osay recalled: "When I first met Dott, he couldn't play basketball but was full of talent and curiosity, Dott was strong and quick, and more importantly, he gave most of his time to basketball, and it didn't take long for him to show dominance in the league." After entering college, I thought his short-term goal was to enter the NCAA Division I league, but he went directly to the NBA, and he has this strength."
After rising to prominence in the Brookwood Elite League, Osay took Dott to a prep school in Jacksonville, Florida, to improve his spoken English and basketball skills.
After going to Orlando and Ontario, Dott passed over Baylor and the University of Oregon to attend Arizona State University.
In his first two games with the team, he scored 53 points and was named the Pac-12 Conference's Outstanding Rookie.
After a year in college, Dott, who was confident he would enter the league, chose to go straight to the draft. He averaged 6.8 points in 36 games for the Thunder last season (28 of them starts).
Dott's career is just beginning and there are many possibilities for his future. Dott said he wants to be a playmaker and he will show more strength on the defensive end.
