As HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers were one of the teams to express interest in Luguentz Dort before the Thunder sent him to the Hawks for three second-round picks. Just because LA missed out on him doesn't mean it won't have another chance to get him, especially after what Marc Stein and Jake Fischer of The Stein Line wrote:
Dort is entering the final year of his current contract at nearly $18 million after Oklahoma City picked up the 27-year-old's team option with the intent to trade him ... but The Stein Line has been advised that a contract extension for Dort with Hawks won't necessarily be pursued immediately by the rugged 3-and-D swingman's new team.
Dort is currently on track to become an unrestricted free agent next summer, that is, if the Hawks don't extend him. Atlanta could want to keep as much financial flexibility as possible to go after a star-level player, which is what Stein and Fischer reported executives around the league pointed out could be the plan.
In that case, the Hawks could put off the decision on Dort's future, giving the Lakers a better chance of swooping in. Of course, that would be if Los Angeles is still interested, and given that he's 27 and one of the best defenders in the league, it's hard to see the team not wanting to pursue him again.
It's not a guarantee that Hawks will extend Lu Dort
To be clear, it's not that Atlanta already knows Dort will be a short-term rental; Scotto reported that the Hawks want to keep him beyond next season. Until he signs a new deal, though, that won't be official.
He may not even be in Atlanta for the entirety of the 2026-27 season, as his expiring contract could be used for a star at the deadline. It's still way too early to know who will be available, but if the right player for the Hawks is out there, they wouldn't draw the line at giving up Dort.
Maybe the Lakers could work their way into what could be a multi-team trade framework, or they could wait for him to hit free agency with whatever team he's on. Anyway, convincing Dort to sign with Los Angeles wouldn't be a hard sell. He'd get to play off Luka Dončić and help them do what he already did with the Thunder.
As of right now, though, Dort's focus is on settling into his new home in Atlanta, with a Hawks team that's on the rise. On paper, it does feel like he has a good shot at being in Georgia long-term, but if things don't shake out that way, Los Angeles should be lurking. The next chance to get him could be right around the corner.
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