The Oklahoma City Thunder have spent the 2026 offseason making some of the smartest yet toughest business decisions of Sam Presti’s tenure. Fresh off a disappointing Western Conference Finals loss, the Thunder have kept long-term flexibility in mind over keeping every member of their squad together.
In that process, the Thunder have saved $224 million in payroll and luxury tax, added seven future second-round picks, and created a $17 million trade exception.
The latest and biggest move came on Sunday, when ESPN’s Shams Charania reported that they traded All-Defensive guard Lu Dort to the Atlanta Hawks in a three-team deal featuring the Dallas Mavericks.
The Hawks acquired Dort and Ryan Nembhard, while the Mavericks added former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. The Thunder landed three future second-round picks, which showed Presti’s strategy of loading up on draft capital while shedding salary.
Dort’s departure marked the end of a six-year run with the Thunder. He came in as an undrafted free agent and developed into one of the best perimeter defenders in the league. His peak came during the title-winning 2025-26 season, where he was named to the All-Defensive First Team.
Last season, he had a subpar season, averaging 8.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.2 assists while shooting 38.5% from the field and 34.4% from beyond the three-point line. Dort was extension-eligible, and the Thunder decided to pick up his team option and trade him, rather than just declining it and letting him walk for free.
The Dort deal capped an offseason where the Thunder also traded Isaiah Joe and Aaron Wiggins, two valuable members of the 2025-26 season’s championship-winning team.
Joe was traded to the Detroit Pistons after averaging 11.1 points, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.3 assists while shooting 45.5% from the field and 42.3% from three-point range last season. Wiggins was sent to the Atlanta Hawks after contributing 9.4 points and 3.1 rebounds as he became one of the most reliable bench players for the Thunder.
Combined, all three trades helped the Thunder reduce $224 million in payroll and luxury tax costs while moving below the NBA’s second apron.
Despite losing three quality players, the Thunder have kept their Big 3 intact. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams remain the foundation of one of the best teams in the NBA.
The focus of the Thunder has been pretty clear this offseason. They had to get under the dreaded second apron, so they chose to sacrifice role players but kept their core together. On top of that, they smartly added future draft picks, which keeps them in a position to contend for titles for years to come, without being handcuffed by cap rules.
