While free agency provides lots of uncertainty, there are two known facts heading into this upcoming summer.
The Lakers have a lot of cap space and the Thunder need to shed salary.
After years of building up a contender through the draft, Oklahoma City is now experiencing the hardships that come with the CBA. In order to avoid going above the second apron, a shedding of salaries will need to happen.
One of the prime candidates is Lu Dort, a talented wing with limitations and a contract set to pay him $17.7 million next season. With players around him fit to take his spot in the rotation, it’s easy to see him dealt this offseason.
It’s not a shock, then, to see that the Lakers have reportedly called about Dort. According to NBA beat writer Jake Fischer, LA has checked in on Dort ahead of the start of free agency.
I’m also told that the Lakers have called the Thunder about swingman Lu Dort’s availability.
Oklahoma City is facing a well-chronicled roster crunch, with 15 players currently under contract and two first-round picks to make at Nos. 12 and 17 barring draft-night trade activity, sparking a belief that the Thunder might be open to trading Dort after picking up his $17.2 million team option to make it easier to re-sign big man Isaiah Hartenstein. Oklahoma City holds a $28.5 million team option on Hartenstein and is generally seen as a lock to retain his services either by picking up the option or working out a longer-term deal with him at a lower annual salary.
Last season, Dort averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game while shooting 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from the 3-point line. Across the board, those were the worst averages and percentages of his career outside of his rookie season.
It was also the fewest minutes he’s played per game, a sign of his diminishing role with the Thunder. Across his career, he averages 11.6 points per game and shoots 40.5% from the field and 34.4% from range.
All that being said, offense has never been his calling card. Dort has been one of the premier perimeter defenders across recent seasons. In 2024-25, he was named to the All-Defense First Team.
However, in becoming one of the top defenders, he’s also gained a reputation as one of the dirtier defenders in the league. Things reached a boiling point last season, in particular, when Dort had a series of dirty plays that drew the attention of fans.
There are certainly pros and cons for acquiring Dort that the Lakers will weigh. He’d certainly improve the defensive talent and depth of the roster, but at a price.
The Lakers would be doing the Thunder a big favor, so he’d likely come at a discounted cost. Does that make him a gamble worth taking?
You can follow Jacob on Twitter at @JacobRude or on Bluesky at @jacobrude.bsky.social.
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