The Bounce Newsletter | This is The Athletic’s daily NBA newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.No, LeBron James still hasn’t picked a new destination as we enter the fourth week of free agency. Yes, this feels very drawn out. But let me pose this question: What if he just isn’t in love with any of the options? What if he’s truly torn and doesn’t know yet because none of it feels right? What if this introduction is just a reverse jinx to see if he’ll finally announce today? If it happens, you can track it all here.Thunder struckOKC sheds more money with Dort dealWe had a pretty good idea that Lu Dort was not long for Oklahoma City. Though Dort was the longest-tenured member of the team, the Thunder’s second-apron salary crunch was going to be their biggest obstacle to tackle this offseason. They managed to add rookies Aday Mara (12th pick) and Bennett Stirtz (16th pick) in the draft. But the Thunder were also desperately trying to save money and dump salaries to get under the second apron this summer.Just as a reminder, here’s how the first and second aprons restrict team roster construction. The Thunder sent Aaron Wiggins to the Atlanta Hawks for two second-round picks earlier this summer. They also sent Isaiah Joe to the Detroit Pistons for two more second-round picks. They still needed to jettison the 27-year-old Dort (who’d been with OKC since July 6, 2019) and the $17.7 million he makes this coming season without taking back salary to get out of the second apron.Once again, the Thunder looked to the Hawks for financial help and second-round picks. They agreed to send Dort to Atlanta in a three-team deal involving the Dallas Mavericks. Dallas received 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher. The Hawks also got Ryan Nembhard from the Mavericks, and the Thunder took three second-round picks from Atlanta.So that’s Wiggins, Joe and Dort gone from the Thunder, with seven second-round picks coming back. In payroll and luxury tax penalties, OKC saved hundreds of millions of dollars. It’s now out of the second apron and can get under the first apron before the February trade deadline. And the Thunder hope they still have the depth to win the Western Conference back from the San Antonio Spurs.I’d imagine Alex Caruso, Ajay Mitchell, Cason Wallace, Jared McCain, Nikola Topić and Stirtz will all step up in the absence of Dort, Wiggins and Joe. Of course, the Thunder have Wallace’s rookie extension to deal with before the start of the 2026-27 season. Otherwise, he enters restricted free agency next summer. And he’ll be massively expensive. The Thunder already have $194 million wrapped up in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams, Chet Holmgren, Isaiah Hartenstein and Caruso the following season. We might see even more cost-cutting from OKC in the near future. As for Atlanta, what an incredible acquisition. Having Dort, Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker will create a stifling perimeter defense. The Hawks still need a proper big man with good size (no offense to Onyeka Okongwu, who is very good). Nembhard could easily be one of the best backup point guards in the league pretty soon, too. It’s why I gave Atlanta an A for this deal.