Luguentz Dort Says Exit From Thunder Was Mutual Before Hawks Trade

Luguentz Dort said his split with the Oklahoma City Thunder was mutual, in an interview with The Athletic published Thursday. The Thunder traded him to the Atlanta Hawks on July 19.

Oklahoma City sent Dort to Atlanta in a three-team deal that moved Zaccharie Risacher, the first overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, to the Dallas Mavericks. Ryan Nembhard went to Atlanta in the same trade. The Thunder received three second-round picks.

The Thunder had picked up the $17.7 million team option on his contract in June, four weeks before moving him, and Dort said his own situation weighed into it as much as the team’s did.

“We had a couple conversations,” Dort said. “Just knowing the situation that the team and I was in, we came up with the best agreement to see what was best for my future.”

Oklahoma City agreed in June to send Aaron Wiggins to Atlanta for two future second-round picks. Days later, Isaiah Joe went to the Detroit Pistons for two more, and both deals became official July 6, once the league’s moratorium lifted.

Add the three picks from the Dort trade, and the Thunder came out of the summer with seven second-round picks and a payroll under the second apron.

Wiggins and Dort overlapped for five seasons in Oklahoma City, a stretch that included the 2025 Finals win over the Indiana Pacers. At media day on Sept. 28, Wiggins thanked Onsi Saleh, the Hawks’ president of basketball operations, for bringing Dort to Atlanta.

“As soon as I found out he was getting traded I called him,” Wiggins said. “Super grateful for Onsi for making the move. I’m looking forward to the transition.”

Dort went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019. The Thunder signed him to a two-way contract that July.

“It was a lot of emotions,” Dort explained. “I have a lot of love for this organization. They changed my life.”

“It’s mutual on both sides,” Dort added. “I know they got a lot of love for me, as well. But we all know it’s part of the business. You knew it was going to happen at some point.”

He played 432 regular-season games for Oklahoma City and averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.6 assists over that stretch. In 2021-22, he put up 17.2 points a night in 51 games.

The 2024-25 season brought his first All-Defensive selection, a First Team spot on 99 of 100 ballots. Defensive Player of the Year voting that spring had him fourth, with 11 first-place votes. Dyson Daniels, who finished second in that race, is now his teammate in Atlanta.

His scoring dropped to 8.3 points last season, on 38.5% shooting from the field over 69 games.

Oklahoma City’s fourth quarters stood out to CJ McCollum.

“I’m most excited about going through a full training camp,” McCollum said. “We were all here on and off in the summer. Everyone was here early in the summer and we were able to build camaraderie and trust.”

“Obviously, they have championship pedigree,” McCollum continued. “The habits, ability to perform down the stretch of games. The ability to perform in the fourth quarter — the Thunder have won a lot of fourth quarter games and it’s because of those guys. It’ll be fun to have them.”

Five games into his Hawks tenure, Dort is averaging 8.6 points. His 11 points Monday came on 4-of-11 shooting in a 120-110 loss to the Houston Rockets, the second time in three days Houston beat Atlanta. Against the Miami Heat on Wednesday, he finished with 8 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists as the Hawks lost 129-117 at home and fell to 2-3.

Dort is in the last year of the five-year, $82.5 million contract he signed with Oklahoma City in July 2022. Atlanta wants to keep him past this season, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported in July. A few days later, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer wrote in The Stein Line that the Hawks were not expected to rush extension talks.

Both Dort and Wiggins were held out when the Thunder came to State Farm Arena for a preseason game on Oct. 12.

The Cleveland Cavaliers visit State Farm Arena on Thursday for an 8 p.m. ET tip-off, and the Hawks play at the New Orleans Pelicans two nights later at 7 p.m. ET. Dort’s first regular-season game back in Oklahoma City is Nov. 18, an 8 p.m. ET start at Paycom Center.