The Atlanta Hawks acquired 2025 All-Defensive wing Luguentz Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder and Ryan Nembhard from the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal on Sunday.
The Hawks sent former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher and a protected future second-round draft pick to the Mavericks, with two more future second-rounders going to the Thunder. Dallas is shipping one second-rounder to Oklahoma City.
While Dort has been a mainstay in Oklahoma City’s starting lineup for years, the move completed a necessary stretch of offseason deals for the Thunder. They acquired seven second-round picks while going under the second apron with their trades of Dort, Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins.
Oklahoma City picked up Dort’s $17.7 million team option, acquired three future assets and created a $17 million trade exception. Dort is now in position to sign a long-term contract in Atlanta that was infeasible with the Thunder.
Dort, 27, joins a young Hawks team led by Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker that won more playoff games against the NBA champion New York Knicks than any other opponent. Atlanta also freed up $40-plus million in cap space next summer.
Dort, who finished fourth in Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2024-25, averaged 8.3 points and 3.6 rebounds in 69 games last season. He averaged 11.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in seven seasons with the Thunder.
In his second NBA season, the 21-year-old Risacher averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games. However, he received just 23 minutes during the playoffs. The forward finished second to the Spurs’ Stephon Castle in the NBA’s 2025 Rookie of the Year voting.
Nembhard, 23, played in 60 games for the Mavericks as a rookie guard last season. The undrafted free agent made 27 starts and averaged 6.6 points, 5.3 assists and 2.2 rebounds.
–Field Level Media
