Lakers Linked to Potential Lu Dort Trade

The Los Angeles Lakers might be exploring options on the trade market ahead of the start of NBA free agency.

Apr 2, 2026; Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort (5) drives around Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) during the second half at Paycom Center. Mandatory Credit: Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images | Alonzo Adams-Imagn Images

Every team in the NBA is waiting for the first offseason domino to drop, and without a doubt, it's the Milwaukee Bucks trading superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo. Once that happens, the NBA offseason will likely kick into high gear, with the Los Angeles Lakers looking to upgrade their roster in free agency and potentially with trades.

As of right now, the Lakers don’t seem to be a serious contender to land Antetokounmpo in a blockbuster trade, but there’s a chance they could get involved if it turns into a three- or four-team deal, which seems like a likely scenario.

Lu Dort Trade Might Be an Option for Lakers

In the meantime, the Lakers will do their due diligence to improve the roster, and it appears trading for Oklahoma City Thunder guard Lu Dort could be an option, according to Mike Scotto of HoopsHype.

Dort has a team option for $17.22 million for the upcoming season that several front executives who spoke with HoopsHype are projecting the Thunder to exercise, then consider flipping Dort on the trade market. Should such a scenario happen, Dort has been linked with the Lakers and several other teams.

With the Lakers wanting to improve their roster around superstar Luka Doncic with defensive-minded players, Dort fits the bill, as he’s one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.

However, Dort went from shooting a career-high 41.2 percent from beyond the arc during the Thunder’s championship run to 34.4 percent from deep this past season. He also averaged his lowest points per game (8.3) since his rookie season (6.8), and shot a career-low 38.5 percent from the field.

There’s a chance that Dort is on the decline, but there’s also a chance the Lakers can drastically upgrade the team’s perimeter defense if he can have a bounce-back year in Los Angeles, with the one-time NBA champion joining Marcus Smart in the backcourt.

May 9, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Marcus Smart (36) and Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) fight for position on the court in the first half of game three of the second round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

It’s an intriguing option for the Lakers to potentially explore this summer if the Thunder exercises Dort’s option and considers trading him.

It'll be interesting to see what other trade scenarios might pop up when Antetokounmpo is ultimately moved, which is expected to happen before the start of the 2026 NBA Draft on June 23. The Lakers might get some better options, even though bringing in Dort is one that could address an area of need heading into the 2026-27 NBA season.

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