Oklahoma City Thunder general manager Sam Presti explained why he had to trade away longtime defensive stalwart Luguentz Dort.
Dort was a big part of the Thunder’s 2025 NBA Championship roster, but with the team up against the punitive second apron and facing massive luxury tax penalties as a result of that, Presti was forced to make another tough trade to cut costs and save millions of dollars against the luxury tax.
On Sunday, the Thunder sent Dort to the Atlanta Hawks as part of a three-way deal with the Dallas Mavericks, receiving three second-round picks and a trade exception worth $17.7 million in return for a highly respected player who spent seven productive seasons in OKC.
Sam Presti Explains Luguentz Dort Trade
Speaking to The Oklahoman after trading Dort away, Presti explained that the trade was purely a financial decision.
“This was a financial decision. The impression I have been given is that the savings generated this summer, and from being out of the tax the last several years, will be reallocated to future teams. Along with other new well-documented revenue streams, this will allow us to make more basketball-related decisions over the next several years,” Presti said.
Sam Presti Says Thunder Will Miss Luguentz Dort
According to Presti, he wanted to keep Dort on the team, but due to the luxury tax penalties, it just wasn’t feasible.
Presti reminisced about signing Dort as an undrafted player out of Arizona State in 2019 and how, even though he wasn’t drafted in his class, he has become one of the top players from it over time. That’s part of why Presti is sad that Dort is gone, but again, it just wasn’t possible for him to stay due to the financial realities of the luxury tax.
“I remember meeting Lu at the practice facility door the morning after he went undrafted. I showed him around and we had breakfast together. He didn’t touch his food. I just remember saying to him that this was the beginning and not the end, that on draft night things are aligned vertically 1-60, but the morning after everyone is lined up side by side horizontally at an imaginary starting line. It’s safe to say that he will finish amongst the top of that race. I love the guy, love what he’s about and we will miss him,” Presti said.
While Presti said that losing Dort will hurt, he believes the Thunder’s young players, such as Cason Wallace and Ajay Mitchell, can pick up the slack and help Oklahoma City remain as one of the top teams in the league, especially defensively.
“Losing Lu will certainly have an affect on the team, but I think we are positioned well to reimagine ourselves and continue to find new avenues to win. Cason and Ajay will have more responsibility, as will others. But, as has always been our belief, it is necessary to embrace change and not fall victim to trying to imitate ourselves, or our previous play style,” Presti said.
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