Oklahoma City is set to part ways with starting forward and defensive standout Lu Dort, shipping him to Atlanta as part of a three-team arrangement, according to a source familiar with the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on Sunday.
Under the terms of the trade, Atlanta will also acquire Ryan Nembhard from Dallas, while the Hawks will send former top overall draft selection Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, will receive three heavily protected second-round draft picks in return. The source spoke on the condition of anonymity, as the transaction has not yet cleared the required NBA approval process.
The move serves multiple purposes across all three franchises. It allows Oklahoma City to trim enough payroll to drop below the NBA’s second apron threshold, gives Atlanta a proven defensive presence in Dort, and hands Dallas yet another former No. 1 overall pick. Risacher will join Kyrie Irving — the 2011 top selection — and Cooper Flagg, the 2025 top pick, on the Mavericks’ roster, giving Dallas the most former No. 1 overall picks of any team in the league.
Dort spent all seven of his NBA seasons in Oklahoma City, averaging 11.6 points per game over that stretch. Risacher, who finished as a runner-up for the 2024-25 Rookie of the Year award, averaged 11.1 points across two seasons with Atlanta. Nembhard, in his first professional season, averaged 6.6 points per game for Dallas.
The trade was first reported by ESPN, The Stein Line, and The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
