The Los Angeles Lakers, like any other NBA team, would be wise to add players on their way out of the Oklahoma City Thunder. By acquiring guys with championship experience who are coming from a winning culture, you usually can't go wrong.
Given LA's needs on the wing, it would've made sense for Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka to pull off a trade for either Aaron Wiggins or Isaiah Joe, but now it's too late. Both of the Thunder wings have been dealt to the Eastern Conference -- Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks and Joe to the Detroit Pistons.
Pelinka and the Lakers missing out on both Wiggins and Joe makes a recent report from NBA insider Jake Fischer sting all the more. In a headscratcher, the Lakers are still interested in Thunder guard/wing Luguentz Dort, according to Fischer.
"I'm also told that the Lakers have called the Thunder about swingman Lu Dort's availability," Fischer wrote for The Stein Line.
The Lakers are reportedly still considering Lu Dort in free agency
Why, Pelinka, why?! While the Thunder are the right team to be targeting for players, Dort is the wrong guy to zero in on. He stunk it up in the postseason this year to the point that Thunder head coach Mark Daigneault diminished his minutes as the playoffs wore on and ultimately removed him from the rotation near the end of the Western Conference Finals.
There are other reasons for the Lakers to stay away from Dort beyond his hot-and-cold shooting (which went frigid in the postseason). Dort changed agencies this season to Klutch Sports Group, signalling that he's looking to cash in on his next deal. (Dort has a club option that the Thunder still haven't decided on, but if they decline it, Dort'll become an unrestricted free agent).
Klutch will try to get Dort the most lucrative deal possible -- an overpay, if you will. There's absolutely nothing wrong with Klutch and Dort's aim here -- it's literally good business -- but the Lakers shouldn't be the team on the other end of that business.
Stay away from Lu Dort, Lakers!
The Lakers have a similar-but-superior player in Marcus Smart that they can retain in free agency instead of signing Dort. Smart is a more dynamic and skillful player than Dort on both ends, and he's already familiar with JJ Redick's system, having turned in a very nice season in 2025-26 for the Lakers.
If Fischer's reporting on the Lakers' interest in Dort is accurate, let's hope that Pelinka is just asking the Thunder questions to keep the dialogue flowing, in general. If the Lakers were to end up with Dort and eat into their cap space by acquiring him, Pelinka would have a lot of questions to answer from some (rightfully) annoyed fans.
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