Hawks Trade for Lu Dort Adds Pressure for Raptors

Toronto Raptors fans who also follow the Canadian national team might be paying more attention to the Atlanta Hawks next season.

The Hawks acquired a pair of Canadians in Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lu Dort and Dallas Mavericks point guard Ryan Nembhard. Here's a look at the full trade:

Hawks Provide Bigger Challenge to Raptors

Oklahoma City Thunder guard Luguentz Dort in the second half during game six. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The trade for the Hawks is the latest move from an Eastern Conference team looking to take a step in the right direction for the 2026-27 campaign.

Dort joins two-time All-Defensive player Dyson Daniels to form one of the strongest defensive duos on the wing in the NBA. They will team up with fellow Canadian guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and All-Star forward Jalen Johnson to challenge the best teams in the East next season.

The Hawks were 20-21 in the first half of the season but finished with a 26-15 record in the second half to earn one of the top six spots in the East. They finished in a tie with the Toronto Raptors, and Toronto held the tiebreaker, giving them the No. 5 seed. The Hawks settled for the No. 6 slot, which lined them up with the eventual champion New York Knicks in the first round of the playoffs.

The Hawks gave the Knicks their toughest matchup they faced in the postseason. Atlanta was the only team that beat New York multiple times in a series, but a horrific Game 6 loss at home ended their season in the first round.

Armed with Dort and a core that continues to build chemistry, the Hawks are another team that could give the Raptors some problems in the conference.

This is another reason why the Raptors need to make sure the Kawhi Leonard trade goes through. Their competition is catching up, and Toronto wanted to make sure they were in a good spot with Leonard to upgrade their roster. If Leonard doesn't end up with the Raptors, it will only push Toronto even further behind.

The Raptors likely won't know until around the start of training camp whether Leonard's current contract will be voided, which would force the trade to fall apart altogether. The Raptors have trapped themselves in a corner, so all they can do is cross their fingers and hope they get to make that trade.

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