Many in the Western Conference are counting themselves winners of Lu Dort's move to the Atlanta Hawks on Sunday, with the 27-year-old building a reputation as an elite perimeter defender who also straddles the line with being too physical and reckless against opponents.
While most would consider Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors as a beneficiary of Dort's move East, the two-time MVP actually has a dominance over the Canadian that suggests he'd be disappointed at the fact they'll now meet less during the regular season.
Stephen Curry dominance makes Warriors quiet losers of Lu Dort trade
Curry and Dort didn't meet last season given respective injuries, but prior to that Golden State's franchise superstar had built an impressive recent record against Oklahoma City while largely being guarded by their now former wing.
In the three years prior to last season, Curry averaged 32.3 points, 5.8 rebounds and 6.1 assists in eight games against the Thunder, shooting an incredibly efficient 51.2% from the floor and 52.5% from 3-point range. He also averaged 2.6 turnovers, well below the 3.1 he averages on his career.
During this span, Curry scored 90 points when guarded by Dort per NBA tracking, shooting 30-of-56 (53.6%) from the floor and a remarkable 23-of-38 (60.5) from 3-point range. Whatever it is about the matchup, Dort has no answer for Curry despite his stature as an All-NBA Defensive First Team member in 2025.
Oklahoma City are now likely to throw Cason Wallace into a permanent starting role and as the primary defender for Curry in future matchups. In the one game the 38-year-old played against the Thunder last season where Dort was out and Wallace started, Curry scored just 11 points on 4-of-13 shooting from the floor in a 126-102 loss.
Thunder may ultimately benefit from Lu Dort trade
While many will see this trade as simply a salary dump for the return of just three second-round picks, it may ultimately be a benefit by subtraction situation for the Thunder after Dort was near-unplayable offensively during this year's playoffs.
Sure, it's a major deal to move on from a player that was so vital to the culture and success that's been built in the past five years, but it also opens up an avenue for Wallace to take a bigger role after more growth during his third year.
Wallace taking another jump could be bad news for the Warriors and other rivals in the Western Conference, which combined with Curry's dominance over Dort in recent years, suggests this trade is not necessarily a good thing for Golden State.
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