The Oklahoma City Thunder have traded four-time All-Defensive selection Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-team deal that sends former No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks, the league confirmed on Sunday.
The deal reshapes the rosters of three contenders at different stages of their competitive cycles. Atlanta will also receive guard Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, while Oklahoma City picks up three heavily protected second-round draft picks and crucial salary-cap relief.
For the Thunder, the move is primarily financial. Shedding Dort's salary enables Oklahoma City to dip below the second apron, restoring flexibility for future roster moves and avoiding punitive tax thresholds. The price — parting with a defensive stalwart who spent all seven seasons of his career in Oklahoma City — is steep, but the front office gains breathing room to build around its young core.
Dort, 27, averaged 11.6 points across his seven NBA seasons and built a reputation as one of the league's most disruptive perimeter defenders. His ability to guard positions 1 through 4 made him a fixture in Oklahoma City's starting lineup and a key cog in their run to the Western Conference Finals.
Atlanta adds Dort's defensive tenacity to a backcourt that already features Trae Young and Dejounte Murray. The Hawks also pick up Nembhard, who averaged 6.6 points as a rookie in Dallas and provides backcourt depth. In exchange, they part with Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, who showed flashes but never fully found consistent footing in two seasons with the franchise.
Dallas emerges as perhaps the biggest winner on paper. By landing Risacher, the Mavericks now hold three No. 1 overall picks on one roster — a remarkable collection featuring Kyrie Irving (2011), Cooper Flagg (2025) and Risacher. The 21-year-old French forward averaged 11.1 points per game across his two NBA seasons and was runner-up for Rookie of the Year in 2024-25. In Dallas, he slots into a young core alongside Flagg and Irving that positions the Mavericks for sustained contention.
Risacher's arrival gives the Mavericks a versatile forward who can stretch the floor and defend multiple positions, complementing Irving's playmaking and Flagg's two-way impact. The move signals Dallas's commitment to building around its young stars rather than relying solely on veteran free agency.
The deal represents a calculated gamble for each franchise: Oklahoma City gets financial flexibility at the cost of a defensive icon, Atlanta adds grit and veteran leadership, while Dallas loads up on elite draft pedigree to chase Western Conference supremacy.
Sources
- https://apnews.com/article/dort-risacher-thunder-hawks-mavericks-trade-d9390584ed6817fd96f07bbc89f99f91
