The Oklahoma City Thunder just shipped off their premier perimeter defender, Lu Dort, to the Atlanta Hawks in a wild three-team trade, as ESPN’s Shams Charania dropped the news on Sunday, July 19. This isn’t just a simple player swap, either. OKC got three second-round draft picks from the Hawks, and that’s a massive haul that changes the entire landscape of their draft capital.
Sam Presti’s Second-Round Stash Is Real
Seriously, the Thunder’s general manager Sam Presti is playing chess, not checkers, with these draft picks. With the Dort deal, OKC has now scooped up a staggering **seven** second-round picks this offseason! Think about that for a second. Before this, they had already traded Aaron Wiggins to the Hawks and Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons, each bringing back two second-round picks. It’s clear what Presti’s game plan is here: accumulate value. Dort himself had a $17.5 million team option. Instead of just letting him walk for nothing to save cap space, Presti smartly picked it up to ensure they got some serious value back for their first-team All-Defensive wing. Now Dort gets his chance at that long-term contract he probably wouldn’t have landed in OKC.
Dort Heads East, Risacher Finds a Home
So, while OKC is stocking up on picks, Dort is heading to Atlanta where he’ll reunite with former Thunder player Aaron Wiggins. This move is a huge defensive boost for the Hawks, as Dort projects as an ideal defensive fit alongside Dyson Daniels and Nickiell Alexander-Walker. Atlanta is clearly trying to beef up their perimeter D, and bringing in a guy who’s averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists over seven seasons while being one of the best defenders in the league is a no-brainer. But wait, there’s more to this three-team dance! Atlanta also sent guard Ryan Nembard to the Dallas Mavericks, and in return, Dallas landed former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher’s name has been floating around for a while. Dallas was apparently linked to him at the 2026 trade deadline, when he was eyed as a possible candidate in an Anthony Davis trade. But a hand surgery ended up nixing any interest the Hawks had in that original deal, and the Mavs ended up sending Davis to the Washington Wizards instead. It’s a full-circle moment for Risacher finally finding his way to Dallas.
This deal is officially done, and it sets up some big questions for the future of all three squads. How will Dort impact the Hawks’ defense right away? What does Dallas do with Risacher after his injury history? And seriously, what in the world is OKC planning with all those second-round picks? We’ll be watching to see how this shakes out.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
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