Two Canadians will be uniting in Atlanta.
Oklahoma City will receive three second-round draft picks in the trade, while the Mavericks get former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher from Atlanta.
The deal marks the end of the Montreal native Dort’s seven-year run with the Thunder after joining the organization as an undrafted free agent in 2019. The 27-year-old blossomed into one of the league’s premier perimeter defenders, earning All-Defensive First Team honours while becoming a key piece of Oklahoma City’s rise to 2025 NBA champions.
Dort averaged 11.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in his seven seasons with the Thunder. Now, he’ll take his ability to guard opposing stars across multiple positions gives the Hawks a proven defensive anchor on the wing as they bolster their roster around Jalen Johnson.
Meanwhile, Dallas takes a chance on the upside of Risacher. The 2024 top pick will get a fresh opportunity with the Mavericks, who hope the French forward can develop into the impact player many projected him to be entering the NBA.
Nembhard, of Aurora, Ont., was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Mavericks ahead of last season and went on to appear in 60 games, averaging 6.6 points, 2.2 rebounds and 5.3 assists per contest.
Dort and Nembhard will join fellow Canadian national team member Nickeil Alexander-Walker with the Hawks, whose president Onsi Saleh is from Edmonton.
Atlanta also picked up Aaron Wiggins from the Thunder earlier this off-season.