The Hawks just turned their defense up a notch.
On Sunday, the Hawks agreed to acquire wing Luguentz Dort from the Thunder and Ryan Nembhard from the Mavericks. In exchange, they sent former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher to the Mavericks and three protected second-round picks to the Thunder.
The Hawks had a solid defense with Risacher on the roster. But with the acquisition of Dort, Aaron Wiggins and Devin Carter, along with Nembhard, the Hawks’ defense just jumped up a level.
With Nembhard — who at 23 is still a young guard — scouts have highlighted that he plays bigger than his 5-foot-11 frame, noting he has quick hands and a high defensive motor.
Whether Nembhard factors into the rotation remains a question, but if he gets playing time, the Hawks have added a pesky perimeter defender to their ranks.
Dort, though, will be a factor. The 27-year-old has long been regarded for his defense. He didn’t earn the nicknames “The Dorture Chamber” or “Dortress” for giving some of the NBA’s best offensive wizards easy nights.
Dort makes their nights tougher. The NBA tries to quantify a player’s impact in head-to-head matchups or by position using partial possessions.
Statistically, Dort measures favorably with the Hawks’ Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker in points allowed per possession. With Dort’s addition, they have the flexibility to deploy them in a variety of combinations.
All three players can guard multiple positions effectively, and with their varying heights and physicality, they can do it in different ways.
Because of their size and strength, Alexander-Walker, Daniels and Dort can match up against some of the NBA’s biggest wings. They also have the instincts to handle switches onto those larger wings quickly and effectively.
So, the Hawks can stagger them, play just two of them, or use all three, depending on what the situation demands.
With that, Dort could come off the bench, along with Wiggins, Nembhard and potentially Carter.
The Hawks still have some work to do in regard to their roster, as they have 17 players under contract and have to make some moves to bring the roster to the maximum of 15.
Here’s a look at the Hawks’ projected depth chart:
Starters
PG: CJ McCollum
SG: Nickeil Alexander-Walker
SF: Dyson Daniels
PF: Jalen Johnson
C: Onyeka Okongwu
Reserves
PG: Kingston Flemings / Ryan Nembhard / Devin Carter
SG: Lu Dort / Buddy Hield
SF: Aaron Wiggins / Corey Kispert
PF: Asa Newell / Mouhamed Gueye
C: Jock Landale / Zuby Ejiofor/ Henri Veesaar
The 2026-27 season does not tip off until mid-October, typically beginning the third Tuesday of the month. NBA teams usually have to finalize their rosters a couple of days before. Last season, teams had to cut down their rosters by 5 p.m. on Oct. 20th.
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