The Rockets may have watched a useful wing slip straight past them.
With Houston still hunting for more help on the perimeter, Lu Dort looked like the kind of fit that could have checked a lot of boxes. Instead, he’s headed to the Hawks in a three-team deal that sends three second-round picks to Oklahoma City, former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks and Ryan Nembhard to Atlanta, according to Shams Charania.
For the Rockets, that kind of price would have been manageable. The hesitation, if there was any, likely came from Oklahoma City not wanting to move Dort to a conference rival. Either way, Houston is left looking elsewhere.
Dort has long been one of the league’s cleaner examples of a 3-and-D wing. He doesn’t create much offense on his own, but he does bring the kind of spacing that can make life easier for everyone else. At his best, he’s been a sturdy defensive piece and a reliable enough shooter to matter.
That’s the version Houston probably had in mind. Dort hit 40% of his threes in each of the previous two seasons before a down shooting year last season.
He also gave Oklahoma City the kind of physical defense that fits neatly with the Rockets’ identity. In 2025, he finished 4th in Defensive Player of the Year voting and earned First Team All-Defense honors.
At 6'4" and 220lbs, Dort has the build to handle a wide range of assignments. He can check guards, wings and even bigger players in a pinch, which is exactly the sort of versatility that helps a roster survive the grind of a season. For a Rockets team that already has perimeter stoppers, he still would have added a different layer because of his shooting track record.
But the trade also comes with a warning label. Dort’s last season was rough.
He lost playing time, and Cason Wallace moved ahead of him on the Thunder depth chart as a 3-and-D wing, especially once Wallace’s shot started falling and his on-ball game expanded. Dort finished the regular season at 38% from the field and 34% from three.
The playoffs were even colder: 37% from the field and 31% from three.
That’s why the regret here is only partial. If Houston had landed that version of Dort, he might have added another wing who could defend but not consistently stretch the floor - and the Rockets already have plenty of those. Still, the opportunity was there at a low trade cost, and now it’s gone.
Whether Dort finds his shooting again in a new setting is the next question. For Houston, the bigger issue is simpler: they missed a chance, and now they’re back to the drawing board.
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