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Improving defensively on the perimeter was an important priority for the Los Angeles Lakers this offseason. One player linked as a possibility for the team to acquire was wing Lu Dort, who was a First Team All-Defense selection in 2025 for the Oklahoma City Thunder, but was known to be available via trade as they looked to shed some money in the salary cap.
Dort was ultimately traded by the Thunder, being sent to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that also involved the Dallas Mavericks. Before that trade went through, the Lakers were reportedly one of a handful of teams to express interest in Dort, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype:
Several teams expressed trade interest in acquiring Dort before he was traded to Atlanta, including the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Miami Heat, league sources told HoopsHype.
It had previously been rumored that the Lakers had reached out to the Thunder about Dort, so this isn’t much of a surprise and the interest makes complete sense. His point-of-attack defense is something the Lakers were in need of and his physicality and energy can help any team. But the two sides were unable to come to terms on a deal, likely due to the Lakers not having much draft capital to include in such a trade.
Dort now finds himself with the Hawks, who have what most would consider to be the best trio of perimeter defenders on one team in Dort, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. The Hawks also received point guard Andrew Nembhard while 2024 top overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher was sent to the Mavericks and the Thunder received three second-round picks.
The Lakers would go on to address their perimeter defense in free agency, agreeing to one-year minimum deals with Ziaire Williams and Matisse Thybulle. Quentin Grimes will also be relied upon and the team has a pair of promising young wings in Adou Thiero and Cameron Carr who could also play a big factor for the Lakers on that end of the court. So they still have plenty of options despite not trading for Dort.
Collin Sexton hopes to emulate Marcus Smart and Avery Bradley for Lakers
Someone else who could help in the perimeter defense department is Collin Sexton. While he is viewed primarily as an offensive-minded, score-first point guard, Sexton named a couple of former defensive-focused Lakers guards whom he hopes to emulate.
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