If Isaiah Hartenstein hits unrestricted free agency, the Los Angeles Lakers will likely be one of several interested suitors. Hartenstein is one of the top starting centers in the NBA, offering two-way value and a championship pedigree to any team that pursues him.
Unfortunately, after Chet Holmgren's poor showing during the 2026 Western Conference Finals, there's reason to believe the Oklahoma City Thunder will accept Hartenstein's club option. If they do, declining Luguentz Dort's option could be an inevitable result—and thus give the Lakers a shot at an elite defender.
Hartenstein has a $28.5 million club option for the 2026-27 season. Many have thus speculated that the Thunder could decline it in order to duck under the second apron and create more financial freedom in free agency. They would also avoid costly apron penalties.
Oklahoma City has other options for avoiding the second apron, however, and may explore them if they believe that Holmgren isn't ready to anchor the interior in a postseason setting in 2027.
Chief among those options is declining Dort's $17,722,222 club option for the 2026-27 season. He's likely a player they'd prefer to keep, but if it comes down to Hartenstein or Dort, Holmgren may ultimately force Oklahoma City's hand.
If that proves to be the case, then the Lakers' well-documented need for an elite wing defender would likely open the door for them to bring Dort to the negotiating table.
Luguentz Dort is the type of elite wing defender Lakers need
Dort can be a polarizing figure with his overly physical play and streaky shooting. What can't be disputed, however, is that he's been one of the best wing defenders in the NBA during most of his seven years with the Thunder.
That continued in 2025-26, when he ranked No. 1 in the NBA in perimeter isolation defense and finished in the 91st percentile in ball screen navigation and 83rd percentile in off-ball chaser defense, per Basketball Index.
Unfortunately, Dort has also shot between 33.0 and 34.4 percent from beyond the arc in four of his past six NBA seasons. He buried 39.4 percent of his attempts in 2023-24 and 41.2 percent in 2024-25, but was at 34.4 percent in 2025-26.
With the Thunder boasting a seemingly endless supply of promising young wings, there's a decent chance they could deprioritize him based on finances and shooting.
In that scenario, the Lakers would be adding the elite wing defender they need while gambling on his jumper. He's far from being a non-shooter, which makes the gamble fairly easy to justify considering Luka Doncic is one of the best playmakers in the NBA and can create efficient looks for Dort.
If the opportunity to sign Dort ultimately presents itself, then the Lakers can thank Holmgren for having a shot at an elite defender who may be able to find his jumper again.
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