After a boisterous start to 2026 NBA Free Agency, you could hear a pin drop after days upon days of the league waiting for the next domino to fall - LeBron James revealing his destination appearing to be the largest domino of all.
Atlanta was through with sitting on the sidelines for The King, though - parting ways with Zaccharie Risacher, they've acquired Luguentz Dort, in addition to Ryan Nembhard in a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder.
I've been hoping for the Hawks to acquire an enforcer for as long as I can remember - lo and behold, that's exactly what Onsi Saleh was able to deliver. One burning question remains: can Atlanta lock down Lu Dort long term with a contract extension?
Lu Dort's obvious strength only increases Atlanta's lockdown status
Luguentz Dort currently earns $18.2M this 2026-2027 campaign. Afterwards, he's an unrestricted free agent. It should be Onsi Saleh's tip-top priority to retain the defensive phenom, for multiple reasons.
First and foremost, Dort brings exactly the physicality the Hawks have desired. Pairing his perimeter defense with Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Kingston Flemings is the perfect fearsome foursome to shut down opposing guards night in and night out.
In a league that values switchability more and more by the year, the Hawks are well ahead of the curve, and this offseason appears to be lightning in a bottle - it's incredibly rare to add not one, but two long-term lockdown guards in the same summer, especially to a roster that already features two premier players of the exact same archetype.
Dort's fit with the timeline of the Hawks is perfect
Beyond the obvious defensive upside that Dort brings to the A, he fits perfectly with the timeline. Both Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Dort are 27 years of age at time of writing, and each are only two years elder to Onyeka Okongwu and three to Jalen Johnson.
While the exact dollar amount of the potential extension is a mystery at present, Dort would likely command a ballpark $20-25M extension, as rumored by Thunder coverage throughout the last year.
Such a number was too expensive for a roster featuring three $50M+ deals in Holmgren, Williams, and SGA, but perhaps not so for a squad where Jalen Johnson's $30M number is the greatest.
The Hawks have positioned themselves gracefully to both be competitive far in the future thanks to Jalen Johnson, Kingston Flemings, and Dyson Daniels' youth paired with NAW and Dort's experience and defensive talents.
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