The Atlanta Hawks have spent the offseason reshaping the roster, and one of the bigger questions hanging over the move for Luguentz Dort is simple: do they lock him up now, or let the season play out first?
Atlanta’s front office has already made a series of additions that point to a team trying to keep building off last year’s late surge. The Hawks finished the regular season strong, then surprised plenty of people with how they played in the playoffs before falling short. That run raised the bar, but it also made clear that the work is far from finished.
Dort arrived as part of that effort to add more to the mix. The Hawks have brought in young talent this offseason and added three players with NBA Finals experience, including two who came from the Oklahoma City Thunder. That group includes Dort and Aaron Wiggins, with Oklahoma City moving on from some pieces and collecting draft picks in return.
For Atlanta, Dort’s appeal starts on the defensive end. He has built a reputation as a dependable defender, and while his three-point shooting has been solid in recent seasons, he went through a slump this year. That down year is part of why the Thunder were willing to move him.
Still, the Hawks have reasons to believe he can fit. Atlanta shot 37% from three last season, which ranked fifth in the NBA, so Dort doesn’t need to be a featured scorer to matter. If he can defend and hit open shots, that gives the Hawks something useful right away.
There’s also the playoff angle. This is a young team, and some players didn’t quite match their regular-season level when the games got tighter.
Dort has been through deep postseason runs, much like CJ McCollum, and that kind of experience matters. With championship experience in the mix and Atlanta’s recent move to get rid of former No. 1 overall draft pick Zaccharie Risacher, the need for a player like Dort only grows.
Even so, the extension question feels premature. Dort is coming off a rough season, and handing him a new deal now could limit Atlanta’s flexibility during the season and cut into cap space next summer. For a team still trying to build, there’s no reason to rush into a contract before seeing how he fits.
That’s the risk here. If the Hawks move too quickly, they could end up boxed in with a player whose value is tied heavily to defense, the way they might with another Dyson Daniels type.
Daniels can defend, but his offense is a problem, and Dort has had similar issues when his shot isn’t going down. In that situation, he becomes hard to rely on when the Hawks need a bucket.
There’s also a cautionary example in Robert Covington. The Portland Trail Blazers traded for him in 2020 thinking they had found a key defensive piece, but when his defense and shooting slipped in 2021, he was salary-dumped to the Los Angeles Clippers as an expiring contract.
The better path may be patience. If Dort proves himself in this system and doesn’t require much from Atlanta, then an extension makes sense. The Hawks also have a recent example in how they handled Jonathan Kuminga: they traded for him, let the season play out, and so far haven’t looked to sign him back.
In the end, this is about whether Dort shows enough in Atlanta’s system to earn that commitment. He’s 27, he’s coming off a down year, and he still has the chance to bounce back. If he does, the Hawks may find exactly the kind of championship-tested piece they were hoping for.
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