When NBA teams are filling offseason needs, it isn’t always as simple as identifying a need and finding a player who provides that.<\/p>\n
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 Don\u010di\u0107. 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.<\/p>\n
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<\/a>.<\/p>\n Dort is in the heart of his prime, has a championship run on his r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and is excellent at his craft. So, what’s the problem?<\/p>\n Well, there are a couple of them, actually.<\/p>\n The first\u2014and clearest\u2014concern is cost. The Thunder won’t just give him away. Even if they’d rather not have his $17.7 million salary<\/a> 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2014just 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.<\/p>\n 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\u2014typically against the best and brightest stars in the league\u2014and not miss a beat.<\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n