The Los Angeles Lakers have already made a few eye-catching moves over the last 24 hours, but the sense around the team is that the work may not be done yet. With no more tradable first-round picks in hand, the Lakers still have other avenues to get better, and the real question is whether they’re willing to part with other players to sharpen the roster.
One name that keeps popping up as a fit is Lu Dort.
The wing defender has the kind of profile that makes sense for a Lakers team that has clearly been leaning toward improving on defense early in the offseason. If Los Angeles is serious about tightening things up on the perimeter, Dort would be an obvious target. That’s why one Western Conference executive’s view, relayed by Sean Deveney, stands out so much.
“I think if you’re the Lakers, you want to be front and center on some of those guys. Lu Dort is the guy who could just come in and change your entire perimeter defense.
He’s a must-have if they can get him. That’s been a problem for them for so long.
But if you have Luka (Doncic) you need 3-and-D guys and he’s on another level,” a Western Conference executive said, per Sean Deveney.
Dort is not the easiest player to pin down. He’s clearly a useful player, but the gap between “good” and “great” is part of the conversation around him.
At times, he gets more credit than he may deserve simply because he plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Still, the Thunder have been one of the league’s best teams, even after losing in the Western Conference Finals a year ago, and they’ve made offseason moves to keep their future as strong as expected. That financial picture matters, and it’s why Dort could wind up as one of the players on the move if Oklahoma City needs to shed salary.
In Other News...
Luka Just Gave Lakers Fans A New Reason To Revisit LeBrons Exit
Luka Doncics latest rapid-fire interview offered a reminder of just how naturally his basketball mind gravitates toward Nikola Jokic. The Lakers star kept leaning into the Nuggets center when asked to make quick two-on-two choices, a reflection of the close bond and ongoing banter the two share, and a small but telling glimpse into the kind of player Doncic seems to value most.
The final stretch of the segment only added to the intrigue, with Doncic moving on to Larry Bird and then Michael Jordan in his last picks. For Lakers fans, the bigger takeaway is what this says about the teams new center of gravity after LeBron James offseason departure, because every Doncic answer now feels like part of the bigger conversation about where the franchise is headed next. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers May Be Backing Off Kuminga For A Stunning Veteran Pivot
With LeBron James moving on, the Lakers have been able to lean fully into an offseason plan built around Luka Doncic, and they have already started reshaping the roster with the trade for Walker Kessler and a handful of free-agent additions. Even with those moves in place, the front office has kept its attention on Jonathan Kuminga, whose fit as a young, athletic wing still makes him one of the more intriguing names on their board.
The catch is that the Lakers may not want to wait forever if the Kuminga pursuit stalls. One league source has suggested the team is at least considering a veteran pivot, and that would shift the conversation from upside and long-term fit to a more immediate, established option on the wing. For a team trying to balance urgency with flexibility around Doncic, that kind of fallback could say plenty about how the rest of the summer is likely to unfold. [Read more 🡒]
Lakers Linked To Rare Wing Target They Almost Never Can Land
The Lakers are once again being tied to a wing who checks a lot of boxes, and that alone makes the rumor worth watching. Bleacher Reports speculation around Trey Murphy points to the kind of player Los Angeles rarely gets a clean shot at: a big, versatile wing who can space the floor, hold up defensively and add some juice as a finisher around the rim.
Murphys appeal goes beyond the usual trade chatter because he fits the exact sort of roster need the Lakers keep circling back to. He also comes with a sizable commitment still left on his deal over the next three seasons, which helps explain why any serious pursuit would be complicated, and why this could become more than just another name floating through the rumor mill. [Read more 🡒]