The Miami Heat were in the mix for one of the league’s most respected defensive wings, but Lu Dort is headed to Atlanta instead.
On Sunday, the Oklahoma City Thunder completed a three-team trade that sends the All-Defensive forward to the Hawks. Ryan Nembhard is also going to Atlanta via the Dallas Mavericks, while Dallas receives Zaccharie Risacher and a protected 2027 second-round pick via Atlanta.
Dort now joins a Hawks group that has already added former Thunder teammate Aaron Wiggins in a separate deal a couple of weeks earlier. Atlanta still doesn’t have a true superstar, but the roster has plenty of balance, and this move makes the Southeast Division even tougher.
Miami, though, was right there in the chase. According to league insider Mike Scotto, the Heat were among the teams that showed interest in Dort, along with the Los Angeles Lakers, Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors. The seven-year veteran is on an expiring $17.72 million contract, which made him an appealing name for teams looking to upgrade without locking themselves into a long-term deal.
Dort’s box score production won’t jump off the page. Last season, he averaged 8.3 points on 38.5 percent shooting, along with 3.6 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 69 games, all starts.
But the value is in everything that doesn’t always show up in the numbers. He’s one of the league’s better defenders, and he brings the kind of versatility teams covet because he can handle shooting guard and either forward spot.
At 6-4 and 220 pounds, Dort is not an easy cover for anybody. He’s also a career 35.8 percent shooter from three-point range, which only adds to his appeal.
For Miami, the search for roster help continues. President Pat Riley has already pointed to the need for a center and a playmaker to round out the roster, but Dort would have been another dependable option for a team that is clearly pushing hard for the Larry O’Brien trophy.
The Heat are still chasing their first title in 13 years, and the idea of adding another banner to the Kaseya Center rafters remains very much alive. A LeBron James reunion would only raise those odds, though that decision is still pending.
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