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Luka Doncic of the Los Angeles Lakers handles the ball in front of Luguentz Dort of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Los Angeles Lakers are apparently hoping for Oklahoma City Thunder players Lu Dort and Isaiah Hartenstein to join the roster this offseason. Both players have options on their contracts that could see the Thunder refusing to keep them on the roster at a high price. Oklahoma City also is handicapped in how much money they can offer to their players entering free agency moving forward.
Yossi Gozlan reported the following about the Thunder players and the team’s future:
“Many are speculating that the Thunder might be forced to part ways with one of Hartenstein or Lu Dort, who also has a team option for next season. That would be their easiest path towards savings, but it seems unlikely the Thunder will simply let either of these players go.”
The report led to more speculation about the Lakers since they will have a lot of money to spend this summer. Los Angeles reportedly wants to add stronger defenders and improve the team’s toughness to build a roster around Luka Doncic.
Hartenstein and Dort would certainly fit that bill to give the team a higher ceiling. These additions would be similar to the Dallas Mavericks’ moves the season they reached the NBA Finals.
Why Oklahoma City Could Lose Talent
The Thunder currently have the best roster and will be the favorites to repeat as NBA Champions. However, they have already decided to extend their top three players to long-term contracts. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams all receiving max contracts will limit how much they can pay future free agents.
Hartenstein and Dort will require too much for Oklahoma City to keep them long-term unless something drastically changes. Thunder management could let one or both walk now to save money, or they could easily work towards a sign and trade to their ideal next teams.
The Lakers could send a player already under current or sign someone like Rui Hachimura for a sign and trade deal. Oklahoma City would look for smaller financial figures with more years left on the contract to extend their window.
Why Lakers Would Want Dort & Hartenstein
Dort and Hartenstein currently fit the two player molds that the Lakers most want to find in the offseason. Hartenstein would be a drastic improvement over DeAndre Ayton as the starting center. The Lakers gave a chance to Ayton, but it has become apparent he’s not the long-term center for title contention.
Another huge flaw shows that the Lakers lack an elite defensive wing player to defend the opposing team’s best player. LeBron James is too old to still defend at a high level, and the team clearly needs someone like Dort to fill that role. Three-point shooting from Dort is also a strong asset to hit open shots on a team with Luka.
One or both players would solve most of the issues the Lakers hope to tackle in the offseason. Things trending towards the Thunder losing one or two current starters could see the Lakers as the teams benefiting most with their cap flexibility.
Joey Haverford Joey Haverford is a seasoned sports content writer with over 12 years of experience. He has covered the NBA, WNBA, MLB, NFL, and professional wrestling in the sports industry. More about Joey Haverford
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