Luguentz Dort is entering the final year of his deal at $17.7 million. The Hawks are not expected to move quickly on an extension, per The Stein Line.
The Atlanta Hawks are not expected to move quickly toward a contract extension for Luguentz Dort, Marc Stein and Jake Fischer reported in The Stein Line.
Dort is entering the final season of the five-year, $82.5 million deal he signed with the Oklahoma City Thunder in July 2022. He will earn over $17.2 million in 2026-27. He turns 28 in April and can reach unrestricted free agency next summer.
Dort is eligible for an extension of up to three years and $67 million over the next six months, but he can earn more after that. He remains extension-eligible throughout the 2026-27 league year. Atlanta wants to keep Dort beyond this season, whether or not an extension is worked out.
Atlanta landed Dort on July 19 in a three-team trade. Oklahoma City exercised its $17.7 million option on him last month rather than declining it, then attached three second-round picks to move the salary. Zaccharie Risacher went to the Dallas Mavericks, and Ryan Nembhard came to Atlanta. The Hawks sent out a top-55 protected 2027 second-rounder to Dallas, the most favorable of the Atlanta and Houston 2031 seconds to Oklahoma City, and the most favorable of the Atlanta and Los Angeles Lakers 2032 seconds to Oklahoma City.
Oklahoma City was working to duck the second tax apron. Shams Charania reported the Thunder have acquired seven second-round picks this offseason and shed $224 million in payroll and tax through the trades of Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins. The deal created a $17 million trade exception for Oklahoma City.
Atlanta now carries seven players earning between $9.2 million and Dort's salary. Those contracts could be packaged with draft capital if a star becomes available, either before the February deadline or next summer, when the Hawks project to hold more than $40 million in cap space.
Dort went undrafted out of Arizona State in 2019 and signed a two-way contract with Oklahoma City. He started for the Thunder across seven seasons, made the All-Defensive first team, and won a championship in 2025.
Atlanta finished 46-36 last season, first in the Southeast Division and sixth in the Eastern Conference. The Hawks traded Trae Young to the Washington Wizards in January for CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert, then won 20 of their final 26 regular-season games. New York eliminated them in six games in the first round.
Onsi Saleh was promoted from general manager to president of basketball operations on May 27 and signed a long-term extension. He finished second to Brad Stevens in Executive of the Year voting. Hawks coach Quin Snyder agreed to a multiyear extension on June 8.
Dort joins Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker on the perimeter. Daniels won Most Improved Player in 2025. Alexander-Walker won it in 2026.
Atlanta had 17 players under standard contract after the trade. The regular-season limit is 15. Dort cannot be aggregated with other players in a trade until Sept. 19.
