Sunday, before Ferran Torres steered Spain to a World Cup championship win over Lionel Messi and Argentina, the NBA transaction cycle continued to churn.
The latest dealings sent Luguentz Dort to the Hawks. It was a move that landed former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher in Dallas. Atlanta also acquired guard Ryan Nembhard in the trade. He became expendable due to Kyrie Irving returning from a knee injury and the Mavericks drafting Sergio De Larrea in the first round this year.
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
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) July 19, 2026
As for the Thunder, while Dort was a beloved franchise figure and an important part of their title team in 2024-25, this move was financially driven. More specifically, as with the Boston Celtics parting with Jaylen Brown, this parody-promoting, punitive collective bargaining agreement played a major role in Sam Presti's decision.
Oklahoma City has moved on from Dort, Isaiah Joe, and Aaron Wiggins this offseason. That has allowed the organization to shed $224 million in payroll and tax obligations. It also has them under the second apron, with breathing room.
The Thunder also received multiple second-round picks in this three-team transaction. Along with adding to their treasure chest of draft capital, they created a $17 million traded player exception.
And while the cost to acquire Risacher or Dort was low, it should come as no surprise that neither player is shipping up to Boston.
Why the Celtics passed on Lu Dort and Zaccharie Risacher
This feels self-explanatory. For starters, they're barely under the luxury tax. They don't have to keep it that way this league year to reset the repeater tax, but it's a crucial objective the franchise is well positioned to accomplish.
When Boston dipped below the luxury tax last season, it gained the ability to receive more salary than it sent out in a trade. The organization also shed certain spending restrictions and opened the option of signing anyone on the buyout market.
Resetting the repeater tax would make it easier to load up around Jayson Tatum. Flanking their star forward and Jaylen Brown with a supporting cast that included Kristaps Porzingis and Jrue Holiday helped deliver Banner 18.
Navigating the collective bargaining agreement is a strong enough incentive to punt on bringing Dort or Risacher aboard. However, there's also another significant reason they didn't jump at this opportunity.
Risacher and Dort are wings. One is a young player who is trying to find himself in the league. He needs playing time to accomplish that. The Hawks giving up on him for such a small price also reflects how they felt about it happening.
As for Dort, a veteran with championship pedigree expects to be on the court. Teams must be cognizant of who they're bringing in and how they'll respond to the situation they're entering.
The Celtics are loaded with promising young wings. From Hugo Gonzalez to Jordan Walsh, Baylor Scheierman, and Ron Harper Jr., they're all set at that spot on the depth chart. There isn't a compelling enough reason to have Dort stunt anyone's growth by keeping them on the bench.
So, while the acquisition cost would have been small, opting against a trade for Risacher or Dort was an easy decision for Boston.
Add us as a preferred source on Google