The Oklahoma City Thunder traded Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks for three second-round draft picks and went against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s wishes in the process. ESPN’s Tim MacMahon reported SGA would let Sam Presti know how much he values playing with Dort, but it clearly didn’t matter. OKC wanted to dodge the second apron, and Dort became the odd man out when Chet Holmgren struggled in the playoffs. The Thunder had to keep Isaiah Hartenstein and send Dort packing.
Fans knew this was coming. They picked up Dort’s team option, but the Thunder would have had to extend him without losing him with zero return next summer. The max extensions for Holmgren and Jalen Williams are kicking in this year. SGA gets a $20 million raise in the 2027-28 season. The Thunder need to extend Cason Wallace. They couldn’t pay everyone, and Dort was a painful loss.
Oklahoma City got a disappointing return for Dort, but the biggest headache could be ahead. The front office went against their superstar’s wishes and traded Dort. SGA and Dort are teammates on the Canadian National Team. Gilgeous-Alexander wanted Dort to stay, and losing him for a disappointing return may cause issues.
Thunder choose money over Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s wish
This wasn’t an easy decision. Oklahoma City didn’t want to tear down the deepest roster in the NBA, but spending over the second apron comes with harsh restrictions. Fans know Presti loves to make moves. He would have been more hamstrung than most by the penalties.
The Thunder quickly traded Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins to save money, but that wasn’t enough to dodge the second apron. Fans knew more moves were coming, and it happened on Sunday afternoon.
NBA teams go to great lengths to keep their superstar happy. The Lakers just gave up a massive haul to land Walker Kessler because Luka Doncic wanted a center. Milwaukee went all-in several times to build a contender around Giannis Antetokounmpo. They are far from the only franchises catering to their stars.
The Thunder took the opposite approach. They knew SGA wanted Dort on the roster and traded him anyway. Beyond that, OKC clearly chose Cason Wallace over Dort. All they got was three second-round draft picks for a starter on their title team. Dort was first-team All-Defense in 2025. He was a massive part of their success, but avoiding the second apron took precedence over everything else.
Gilgeous-Alexander is under contract until 2030. He isn’t a flight risk, but NBA relationships rarely break down with one move. It is usually a gradual deterioration over time. Denying his wish to keep Dort could be the first blow or a move that quickly gets swept under the rug. It is certainly worth noting that the Thunder didn’t give SGA what he wanted.
The Oklahoma City Thunder surprisingly traded Luguentz Dort to the Atlanta Hawks, despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s desire to continue playing with his countryman. OKC lost depth to avoid the second apron, but they are still one of the favorites to win the title.
It is on Presti and the front office to replace Dort. Cason Wallace will be the starter, but can they find someone to pick up his slack off the bench? If not, SGA might be even more unhappy about this trade, and nobody wants that.
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