The Atlanta Hawks have been busy this offseason, adding young talent to the team, as well as players with experience who will make an impact on day one. For Onsi Saleh, his goal is to keep financial flexibility while building a team that can sustain winning for years to come, and from the outside, it appears that he's done a good job so far.
The latest move was another solid one for the Hawks, as they acquired Lu Dort from the Oklahoma City Thunder in a three-team trade. Zaccharie Risacher was sent to the Dallas Mavericks, and Ryan Nembhard was sent to the Hawks.
Dort is a player who has been key for the Thunder for years and was a big part of their 2024-25 championship run. He's your typical 3-and-D player, but it's the defense that stands out the most when watching him. Dort earned All-Defensive First-Team honors two seasons ago, and he's been one of the better defensive wings in the league over the past few years.
That serves well for the Hawks, and he will add a lot of value to a team that already has some solid defensive talent on the team. In fact, the addition of Dort might make the Hawks a top defensive unit next season.
Lu Dort can take the Hawks' defense to another level
The Hawks already had an All-Defensive player on their team in Dyson Daniels, as he made the second team this past season and the first team the year before. Daniels has made it hard for any player in front of him, and Dort will do the exact same.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker is also another good defensive player for the Hawks, and he can also take on tough assignments if he needs to. A trio of Dort, Alexander-Walker, and Dort on the court at the same time could cause problems for the other team, as they become interchangeable with the ability to switch willingly.
The Hawks have also added players such as Aaron Wiggins, Kingston Flemings, and Zuby Ejiofor, players who are very capable of turning things up on defense. If the team can come together as one on that side of the ball, there should be no reason why the Hawks aren't a top unit next season.
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