Lakers Don't Need Lu Dort Trade to Help Luka Doncic Contend for Title amid NBA Rumors

When NBA teams are filling offseason needs, it isn't always as simple as identifying a need and finding a player who provides that.

The Los Angeles Lakers, for instance, need all of the defensive resistance they can get as they attempt to fashion their roster around the strengths and weaknesses of Luka Dončić. Lu Dort, who might get financially squeezed out by the Oklahoma City Thunder, is a plug-and-play stopper who earned All-Defensive first-team honors in 2024-25.

On the surface, it feels like a match. Even the Lakers seem to think so, as they've reportedly "called the Thunder about...Dort's availability," per NBA insider Jake Fischer.

Dort is in the heart of his prime, has a championship run on his résumé and is excellent at his craft. So, what's the problem?

Well, there are a couple of them, actually.

The first—and clearest—concern is cost. The Thunder won't just give him away. Even if they'd rather not have his $17.7 million salary on the books, they have a simpler method than salary-dumping him on someone else. That salary is a team option, so they could just wipe it off the books if they wanted.

So, the Lakers would need to incentivize them somehow. The Thunder, who are in full championship-chasing mode, started Dort every game he played this season—just as they have basically every campaign since his sophomore year. He has his limitations, obviously, but they see him as an asset, because he absolutely is one on the defensive end.

He is equal parts stingy and disruptive. His tools are toolsy, his effort is relentless and his instincts are sharp. He can cycle through perimeter assignments—typically against the best and brightest stars in the league—and not miss a beat.

He is a tremendous talent on that end of the floor. So, again, if the Thunder let him go, they'd need to get more than financial relief.

That makes for a not insignificant worry when the Lakers are already relatively light on trade chips. They're already down two future first-round picks and virtually all of their seconds. And they don't have young sweeteners to enhance a trade offer.

Dalton Knecht might be the closest they have to a young prospect. He is 25 years old and saw about one-third of the floor time during his sophomore season that he did as a rookie. Injuries were not to blame; he just fell out of the rotation.

Teams aren't seeking him out. Even if they think they can breathe life back into his three-point shot, they'd want a very low- (or no-) cost flier to try it out.

Adding Dort, then, would take a relatively sizable chunk of what's already a limited asset collection.

And that's when it's worth mentioning those offensive limitations again. The seven-year vet has finished more seasons below 40 percent from the field (four, including 2025-26) than he has above. His 35.8 career three-point percentage is entirely forgettable, especially when he's so often hoisting up wide-open looks against defenses daring him to make them.

The Lakers need to make life as easy as possible for Dončić. He needs defensvie protection, obviously, but life isn't easier if the insurance comes from someone who will compromise the offensive spacing.

So, no, this isn't as simple as it sounds. The Lakers need a stopper, and Dort clearly qualifies as one, but this is not a match.