The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded guard Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team deal that also involves the Dallas Mavericks. The move continues the Thunder's cost-cutting strategy entering the offseason. In the transaction, the Hawks will send three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, and the Mavericks will acquire Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick from the 2024 NBA Draft.
The Thunder also sent guard Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons and Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks this summer. These moves help Oklahoma City get under the NBA's second apron for the upcoming season. The team is managing increased salary obligations for Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, whose combined salaries are set to jump significantly.
Dort, who was under contract with a $18.2 million team option for the 2026-27 season, will effectively become an expiring contract for the Hawks. He was a key defender for the Thunder, finishing fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in the 2024-25 season and earning a spot on the All-Defensive first team. Dort was a starter on the Thunder team that won the 2025 NBA championship, the franchise's first since relocating from Seattle. He has been a consistent starter since joining the Thunder as an undrafted rookie in 2019, starting 423 of his 432 career games and all 54 playoff appearances.
Last season, Dort's offensive production saw a dip, averaging 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, with a 34.4 percent shooting clip from three-point range. This marked a decrease from previous seasons where he consistently scored in double figures.
The Mavericks' acquisition of Risacher, who was the second-highest vote-getter for Rookie of the Year in 2024-25, signals a shift for Atlanta. Risacher's scoring dropped from 12.6 points per game in his first season to 9.6 in his second, with limited rotation minutes during Atlanta's first-round playoff exit. The 21-year-old French forward is due to make $13.8 million in the upcoming season, with a potential increase to $17.4 million in 2027-28 if his fourth-year option is exercised by Dallas.
In exchange for Risacher, the Mavericks will send Ryan Nembhard, the younger brother of Indiana Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard, to Atlanta. Nembhard, an undrafted rookie last season, averaged 6.6 points and 5.3 assists while shooting 35.6 percent from three-point range. He started 27 of his 60 appearances for Dallas after initially being on a two-way contract. Nembhard is set to earn $2.15 million in the 2026-27 season before becoming a free agent.