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The Los Angeles Lakers completed a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler that took up most of their cap space. But before they did that, they reportedly considered trading a first-round pick for Lu Dort, according to Brian Windhorst, who mentioned as much on The Hoop Collective podcast. That would have been a mistake.
Dort is a great defender. He’s a starting-caliber player. And maybe he would have been a good enough fit alongside Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves. But his shaky offensive game could have caused problems in the playoffs. And most importantly, getting a guy like Dort is nowhere near as important as the Lakers landing their starting center of the future.
LA made the right choice in trading for Kessler. Dort would have been a nice add, but paying a first would have been an overpay, considering the Lakers’ needs.
Lakers almost traded a first for Lu Dort
The Oklahoma City Thunder ended up trading Dort in a three-team deal that also included the Atlanta Hawks and Dallas Mavericks. Dort went to the Hawks, along with Ryan Nembhard, the Mavericks got Zaccharie Risacher, and the Thunder got three second-round picks.
But the Thunder didn’t make the deal for the Picks. They traded Dort because they wanted to get below the second apron, and trading Dort helped them accomplish that goal this summer.
Windhorst mentioned that the Thunder were originally trying to get a first-round pick back in a Dort trade but eventually decided to settle for three seconds. LA discussed a deal for Dort when the price was a first, but those talks died after the Kessler deal.
That was the right decision for the Lakers. More than anything, the Lakers needed to add a star center to play alongside Doncic and Reaves. It was their top priority heading into the summer.
Dort’s defense would have seriously helped them on that end of the court, but not nearly as much as Kessler will. His interior defense and pick-and-roll game will slot in beautifully next to Doncic and Reaves.
Had the Lakers given up a first for Dort, there’s no guarantee they would have been able to make a Kessler trade happen. That would have put them in a tough spot.
Especially because, for as great a defender as Dort is, his offensive game isn’t the most consistent. He’s not an amazing three-point shooter, and the Thunder left him off the court at times in the playoffs this past year.
Trading a first for Dort may have been an overpay, and it worked out, because the Lakers were able to land their center of the future.
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This article was originally published on lakeshowlife.com as Lakers' Walker Kessler trade prevented them from making Lu Dort mistake.
