Thunder deal Lu Dort to Hawks in three-team trade that sends Zaccharie Risacher to Mavericks

The Oklahoma City Thunder’s cost-cutting measures continue.Although this time, the Thunder are moving an integral piece to their contendership, and that’s all-world defender Lu Dort, who has been with the organization since signing as an undrafted rookie in 2019.

Dort is being traded from OKC to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal, per Shams Charania of ESPN.The deal will also see the Hawks send three second-round picks to the Thunder, as well as selling off 2024 No.1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks, who are sending Ryan Nembhard — younger brother of Indiana Pacer guard Andrew Nembhard — to Atlanta.OKC, which also traded Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons and Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks this summer, ducked under the second apron for this coming season while adding seven second-round picks.

This was a goal of theirs entering the off-season, given that Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren’s salaries were jumping from a combined $20.3 million to $83 million next season.Dort, whose team option for $18.2 million for the 2026-27 season was accepted by the Thunder earlier this offseason, will effectively be an expiring contract for Atlanta this year, and a productive veteran on a mostly younger team.

On the court, the 27-year-old Dort — who is entering his eighth season — was fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25 and named to the All-Defensive first-team.That said, Dort won the 2025 title as a starting wing on OKC, the first since the franchise moved from Seattle following the 2007-08 season.

Dort has been a fixture in OKC’s starting lineup since being a find following the 2019 NBA Draft, starting 423 of a possible 432 games in his career, along with all 54 of his playoff appearances.Dort’s production has tailed off a bit, dropping to 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per contest and 34.4 percent shooting from three last season, down from never falling below double-digits since his rookie season, averaging 12.8 points...