The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded one of the centerpieces of their 2025 championship run to the Atlanta Hawks. They sent longtime guard Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team trade involving the Dallas Mavericks. In the deal, the Thunder received three future second-round picks, the Hawks acquired Dort and guard Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, and the Mavericks landed former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher.
How We Got Here:
The Thunder are coming off another impressive season, in which they were the best team in the league from wire to wire. They were able to make it back ot the Western Conference Finals, where they ultimately lost to the San Antonio Spurs. They made a number of different moves during the offseason, including dealing Aaron Wiggins and Isaiah Joe away to avoid the second apron.
The Atlanta Hawks are coming off an interesting season in which they moved off of their franchise cornerstone, Trae Young. However, they were still able to make the playoffs as the sixth seed before losing to the eventual champions, the New York Knicks. During the offseason, they kept things simple, retaining players and prioritizing continuity.
The Mavericks’ season was an up-and-down affair. They were led by their rookie superstar Cooper Flagg despite facing challenges. Ultimately, they finished 12th in the Western Conference and landed the ninth overall pick. They brought in Masai Ujiri, who fired Jason Kidd and hired Dusty May to be their new head coach.
What This Means:
Thunder:
The Thunder needed to figure out a way to keep their star players while avoiding the second apron. By trading Joe, Wiggins, and Dort, Oklahoma City reportedly shed more than $220 million in projected salary and tax obligations while collecting seven second-round picks this offseason.
They will now have to move on without one of their best defenders. However, they still have an extremly talented roster and a number of draft picks that can be used to bring in other players to help the Thunder win now.
Hawks:
The Hawks are now putting together one of the best defensive trios in the league. They are adding Dort to Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who both had impressive seasons. Now they can build off their season and look to compete at a much higher level next season.
Dort himself averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 69 games last season. However, his real impact came on the defensive end of the court. His defensive versatility allowed him to guard positions one through four, and he consistently matched up against the NBA’s biggest stars in the postseason.
Mavericks:
The Mavericks are now looking to start their new era around Flagg. He had one of the most impressive rookie seasons in a long time, and now Mavericks president Masai Ujiri and general manager Mike Schmitz are adding Risacher to a retooling roster around young players under new coach Dusty May. Despite having a disappointing season, Risacher averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games
Grades:
Thunder: A
The Thunder were able to duck under the second apron with this move, meaning that they can feel comfortable going into next season. On top of that, they were able to bring back draft capital that can be useful in bringing in other players that can help them win now.
Despite Dort being third in playoff minutes over the past couple of seasons, he is still relatively expendable. He became a liability against the San Antonio Spurs, being left open constantly. The Thunder have a number of other young, talented players that can fill his role, such as Cason Wallace, meaning that Dort won’t be missed too much.
Hawks: A
The Hawks were able to move off of Richardson, who was disappointing last season, and replaced him with a 27-year-old who is one year removed from a First-Team All-Defensive selection. With Dort, Daniels and Alexander-Walker, Atlanta now boasts one of the best defensive trios in the NBA. The Hawks finished 10th in defensive rating last season and could easily push into the top five in 2026-27.
Mavericks: C
The Mavericks made a simple talent play here. They swapped out a small undrafted guard for a 6-foot-8 2024 No. 1 pick who is two years younger. He has the chance to become an impact player for a team that is looking to build out a young core right away. However, Risacher didn’t show signs of improvement in his second season in the league. On top of that, he is walking into an extremely crowded forward rotation.
This move is one of the final big moves of the offseason. All three teams involved came away with very good pieces that will help them in the upcoming season. It’ll be interesting to see which team truly comes out on top of this deal, though, when all things are said and done.
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