For the most part, the Oklahoma City Thunder's offseason dominos have already fallen.
They held onto all three of their selections in the 2026 NBA Draft, ultimately picking up Aday Mara, Bennett Stirtz, and Otega Oweh— each of whom fills a distinct roster need. They've also moved on from Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins in their efforts to dip closer to the second apron.
But if they ultimately want to get below the second apron fully, avoiding the penalties and lack of flexibility that come with it, they'll need to move on from Luguentz Dort as well. Even after Oklahoma City picked up his $17.6 million team option for 2026-27, his status remains the primary question of the offseason for Sam Presti and company.
There will be a number of suitors if the Thunder decide to move on from Dort. Even with his drop in production last season, he still provides major value as an on-ball defender and an off-ball perimeter shooter. But it's likely that his most aggressive suitor to this point— the Los Angeles Lakers— are out of the running before the sweepstakes even has truly begun.
The Lakers are likely no longer a potential Lu Dort trade partner
When news broke that LeBron James would be departing Los Angeles after eight seasons with the organization, things suddenly seemed a lot more flexible for the Lakers this offseason. But they quickly filled that cap-space void, pulling off a sign-and-trade for Walker Kessler and adding Quentin Grimes, Sandro Mamukelashvili, and Collin Sexton in free agency.
With their signing of forward Ziaire Williams, the Lakers have now filled out all 15 of their roster spots. They still sit $10 million below the first apron, but most of the buzz surrounding them has centered on a potential sign-and-trade with the Atlanta Hawks for Jonathan Kuminga.
Even if they were able to pair Jarred Vanderbilt and Dalton Knecht in such a deal, freeing up a roster spot, Kuminga has held strong to his demands for a salary in the range of $25 million annually. If that settles closer to the $20 million range, such a move would erase the rest of the Lakers' financial flexibility this offseason.
If the Thunder are going to move on from Dort, the returning salary will need to be re-routed. That likely takes Los Angeles, who mostly have their roster set in stone, off the table as potential suitors.
Thunder will likely be looking to the Eastern Conference for a Dort suitor
The Lakers, to this point, have been Dort's most aggressive suitor. They checked in on his availability at the start of the offseason, and they've long been projected as a potentially strong fit for the swing guard.
But Presti has also shown a hesitance to send the Thunder's depth pieces to rival Western Conference teams. Both Joe and Wiggins were traded to the Eastern Conference. Ousmane Dieng was moved at the trade deadline to the Milwaukee Bucks. Even Josh Giddey was moved to the Eastern Conference in that fateful Alex Caruso trade with the Chicago Bulls.
Even with Los Angeles likely out of the sweepstakes, there will still be teams calling for Dort. The Charlotte Hornets, who moved on from LaMelo Ball this offseason and are in the process of re-shaping their backcourt, are a real option. Perhaps the Cleveland Cavaliers, if they strike out on James, could be an option as well.
If the Thunder decide to move on from Dort, they'll have the chance to retrieve assets for him. But at it seems like the Lakers are out of the running now that the offseason has started to fully crystallize.
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