{"id":205561,"date":"2026-07-19T14:09:36","date_gmt":"2026-07-19T18:09:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/?p=205561"},"modified":"2026-07-19T14:09:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-19T18:09:36","slug":"lu-dort-trade-okc","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2026\/07\/19\/lu-dort-trade-okc\/","title":{"rendered":"Lu Dort Trade: Grading OKC’s Big Move"},"content":{"rendered":"

After plenty of speculation surrounding his future<\/a>, the Lu Dort<\/a> trade has finally materialized, but did the Thunder make the most out of this move? Oklahoma City sent Dort to Atlanta in a three-team trade<\/a> Sunday — teaming him up with Aaron Wiggins<\/a>, who was traded earlier this month.<\/p>\n

Considering it was weird for OKC to pick up Dort’s team option, this trade was coming sooner or later. That’s because the Thunder were hoping to escape the second apron while keeping their best players<\/a>. Now, it all makes sense. GM Sam Presti deserves more respect at this point.<\/p>\n

Lu Dort Trade: Grading OKC’s Big Move<\/span><\/h2>\n

But walking away with three second-round picks? It seems that the Thunder may have sold low on this one. However, considering that Dort is coming off a down year, maybe this was the best they could get.<\/p>\n

Picking Up Dort’s Option Made Sense<\/h3>\n

The Lu Dort trade was quite expected for one thing: the Thunder’s goal to at least move down to the second apron. As the extensions for Jalen Williams<\/a> and Chet Holmgren<\/a> start to kick in, it’s only inevitable that Oklahoma City’s expenses will begin to blow up.<\/p>\n

Size has been a focus for OKC, especially when they signed Isaiah Hartenstein<\/a> in 2024. Now that they’ve sealed the IHart extension<\/a>, there is little wiggle room to keep everyone. The previous trades involving Isaiah Joe<\/a> and Wiggins<\/a> hinted at the Thunder’s goal to shave off their expenses.<\/p>\n

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BREAKING: The Oklahoma City Thunder trading All-Defensive wing Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal that sends three second-round picks to OKC, former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Dallas Mavericks and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta, sources tell ESPN. pic.twitter.com\/4ewUxhRQA5<\/a><\/p>\n

— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n