The wild NBA offseason continued on Sunday, as Oklahoma City sent Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that also included the Dallas Mavericks.
The Thunder received three future second-round picks (2027, 2031, 2032), while the Hawks sent former NBA No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks in exchange for Ryan Nembhard.
However, NBA insider Kevin O’Connor had another explanation for why the 2025 NBA All-Defensive wing was dealt to the Eastern Conference team.
NBA Insider Kevin O’Connor Reveals Deeper Reason Behind Lu Dort Trade to the Hawks
Dort’s trade to the Hawks is the latest attempt by the Thunder front office to financially “offload” its key players through offseason deals while investing in its future, as the transaction now gives OKC seven second-round picks.
As the NBA world reacted to a three-team deal involving one of the key pieces in Oklahoma City’s 2025 NBA championship run — the prevailing belief is that the front office is doing what it does best by investing in draft picks and offloading players who could affect their salary cap in future seasons.
However, O’Connor offered a different perspective on the transaction.
The NBA insider focused more on what Dort had failed to do during OKC’s recent Western Conference Finals loss to the San Antonio Spurs. O’Connor went straight at Dort’s weakness — his offensive limitations.
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The Arizona State standout was neither an adept shot creator nor a respectable shooter that the Spurs’ defense would keep an eye on from way downtown.
“OKC trading Lu Dort might be purely about the money. But finances could also be a convenient excuse. Dort was borderline unplayable against the Spurs,” O’Connor wrote on social media.
“He’s a shaky shooter. He’s never been a shot creator. And he may already be past his peak defensively. Plus, his minutes were blocking backcourt players who could end up better.”
OKC trading Lu Dort might be purely about the money. But finances could also be a convenient excuse.
Dort was borderline unplayable against the Spurs. He’s a shaky shooter. He’s never been a shot creator. And he may already be past his peak defensively. Plus, his minutes were…
— Kevin O’Connor (@KevinOConnor) July 19, 2026
“My gut says this move is the Thunder getting off a guy one year before everyone realizes they should.”
During the West Finals series, the 6-foot-4 guard could not get his offense going. He averaged 4.3 points in 19.3 minutes per game. He shot 34.3% from the field, including a paltry 20.0% from beyond the arc.
His Game 6 performance fully exposed his offensive ineptitude. Dort scored 5 points in 23 minutes and shot 2-for-11 from the field. Worse, he took 9 perimeter shots and made just 1.
In OKC’s 111-103 loss in Game 7, the guard played 16 minutes and was a non-factor again on offense, scoring 3 points on 1-for-4 shooting. He was even overshadowed by Jared McCain, who tallied 12 points on 5-for-12 shooting in 23 minutes.
The offseason trades of Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins that the Thunder executed put the team under the second apron, shedding $200 million. Oklahoma City picked up Dort’s $17.7 million team option and acquired three future assets.
It gave the Thunder a $17 million trade exception and potentially enabled one of the key players on their 2025 NBA championship-winning squad to sign a long-term deal with the Hawks.
