Oklahoma City Thunder forward Luguentz Dort reacts during Game 7 of the Western Conference finals at Paycom Center on May 30, 2026, in Oklahoma City.

Dallas Mavericks NBA Oklahoma City Thunder

Why The Dallas Mavericks Should Target Trade For Thunder’s Luguentz Dort

James PierceyJune 3, 2026 8:04 AMJune 3, 2026 8:04 AM

DHJ Quick Take: Mavericks Eye a Luguentz Dort Trade With the Thunder

With Cooper Flagg on his rookie deal, the Dallas Mavericks have the cap flexibility to pursue Oklahoma City defender Luguentz Dort, with Klay Thompson as the logical salary match.

What’s the idea? Dallas could send Klay Thompson and a handful of second-round picks to Oklahoma City for Luguentz Dort, whose $17.7 million club option for 2026-27 carries a June 29 deadline.
Why would Dallas want him? Dort is an All-Defensive First Team wing who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25, and the Mavericks have signaled they intend to prioritize defense.
What’s the catch? Dort is shooting just 34.4% from deep this season, below his 35.8% career average, so Dallas would need to pair him with shooting elsewhere.
What’s next? Oklahoma City must decide on Dort’s club option by June 29, a deadline that could shape whether a deal like this gets real traction.

The Oklahoma City Thunder face the familiar challenge of keeping a championship roster together under tightening cap constraints, a situation that could push them to move quality players for financial relief. That opens a door for the Dallas Mavericks.

Dallas has cap flexibility to work with. With Cooper Flagg on his rookie deal, the Mavericks can absorb sizable contracts for the right players, and Oklahoma City’s Luguentz Dort is a name worth watching this summer.

Dallas Mavericks Could Pursue Luguentz Dort From the Oklahoma City Thunder

Dort is on the last guaranteed season of the five-year, $82.5 million deal he signed in 2022, and Oklahoma City holds a $17.7 million club option on him for 2026-27, with a June 29 deadline to decide.

The Thunder could decline the option and let him reach free agency, sidestepping the cost of his next contract but opening a hole on the wing. Moving him for value would make more sense than losing him for nothing.

That is where Dallas fits.

The most logical trade chip is Klay Thompson, whose salary lines up closely with Dort’s option figure. The Mavericks could package Thompson with a handful of second-round picks, a deal Oklahoma City might accept to bring in assets while keeping its books on a similar timeline.

Dallas Mavericks Would Benefit From Adding Luguentz Dort

Dort has ranked among the NBA’s best perimeter defenders for years. He earned All-Defensive First Team honors and finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25, the season Oklahoma City won the title. He is unusually strong for a perimeter player and agile enough to lock down nearly anyone at the point of attack.

His 3-and-D billing rests more on the defense than the shooting. Dort is shooting 34.4% from deep this season, just below his 35.8% career average, a respectable but unremarkable mark for a player who has never been a threat to stretch defenses.

Still, Dort is a Masai Ujiri type of target. Ujiri prizes strong defenders, and the Mavericks have already signaled they intend to prioritize defense. Dort would fit the organization well, provided Dallas can pair him with enough shooting elsewhere. And with Flagg still on his rookie deal, the Mavericks can afford him.