Did the Hawks Trade Zaccharie Risacher Too Early Or Was The Time Right?

The Hawks finally cut ties with their former No.1 overall draft pick but why?

Apr 2, 2025; Dallas, Texas, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) warms up before the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last Sunday, the Atlanta Hawks decided to trade former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher in a deal that netted Atlanta Lu Dort and Ryan Nembhard, and while some could argue it may be a bit early to do so, it is still justifiable.

While this was just Risacher's second NBA season, and he is still just 21 years old, there is much-needed context in terms of what his upside is and why the Hawks gave him away basically for NBA Finals experience.

Let's take a dive into why this deal made sense for both Risacher and the Hawks moving forward.

How did we get here?

Jun 26, 2024; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Zaccharie Risacher poses for photos with NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Two seasons ago, the Hawks found themselves in a tough spot as they were coming off a loss in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament after making the playoffs a year prior in 2023. At that point, the Hawks had realized they had failed with the backcourt experiment of Trae Young and Dejounte Murray.

Ironically, during the 2024 season, there were rumors of Young being interested in joining Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio, and he wasn't as happy when the Hawks got the first pick in the 2024 draft. Nonetheless, Atlanta ended up drafting Risacher with the first pick after Alex Sarr told the Hawks he wasn't visiting or participating in pre-draft workouts with them, and Sarr went to the Washington Wizards with the No.2 pick in the 2024 draft.

By this point, there were plenty of draft analysts who were very skeptical about what Risacher would turn into as a pro and what the Hawks would decide to do after their rough season. They were in a bit of a weird situation, as they didn't know if they wanted to completely rebuild or retool the roster around Young or Murray, as rumors loomed around both being moved that offseason.

However, Atlanta decided to move Murray and keep Young as they retooled the roster around him, and the team started the season slowly before going on a mini run. The Hawks found themselves in the In-Season Tournament Eastern Conference Finals, and Risacher saw limited minutes in these games and struggled when he did.

To open up the season, Risacher showed some flashes of what he could be if he remained consistent, as he had some double-digit scoring nights, including a statement 33 points, seven rebounds, three assists, three steals, and two blocks against the New York Knicks. Risacher shot 61% from the field and 60% from three-point range on 6-for-10 from beyond the arc.

This was only the Hawks' ninth game of the 2024-25 season, and Risacher had his fifth double-digit scoring night. However, where things started to get a bit frustrating was Risacher's inconsistency, as he would score double digits one night and then the next shoot relatively poorly.

He wouldn't score over 20 points in a game again until the end of January, when he lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Risacher scored 30. After this, Risacher would go on to make the Rising Stars Game in 2025 and would have a couple of more scoring outbursts to end the regular season.

Risacher would score 27 points against the Memphis Grizzlies, 22 points against the Philadelphia 76ers, 21 points against the Charlotte Hornets, 22 against Philly again, 36 and 38 points against the Milwaukee Bucks and Brooklyn Nets towards the end of his rookie season.

At this point, people could see the potential in Risacher's game, but not enough to confirm him as a lock number one draft pick. He finished his rookie year averaging 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, on 45% shooting from the field, 35% shooting from three, and 71% from the free-throw line.

Going into year two, people thought Risacher's production would leap forward, as he had very promising moments to end the 2024 season and at the start of the 2025 season; it looked like it could happen. To start the season, Risacher scored an efficient 16 points against the Toronto Raptors but would find himself injured after rolling his ankle, missing the next two games.

Once November rolled around, however, Risacher played similarly to his rookie season, averaging 12.4 points. But by January, that's where things started to get interesting, as Risacher's name was circulating in trade talks at first with former Dallas Maverick Anthony Davis.

However, the Hawks had declined to include Risacher in the deal, which ultimately fell through and saw Davis get traded to the Wizards alongside Young, who had been struggling with injuries and inconsistent play.

In the middle of January, Risacher started to receive less and less playing time, which pretty much showed the writing on the wall. He had just scored 25 points in a win against the New Orleans Pelicans and began a streak of 11 games missed due to a knee contusion.

After Risacher's 25-point performance, he never scored at least 20 points for the Hawks again and would begin playing fewer minutes as the season got closer to its end. Which then leads us to the postseason.

Once the Hawks made the playoffs after a late-season resurgence, it was clear that Risacher was not in head coach Quin Snyder's plans. In the playoffs, Risacher played in just three games for a total of 20 minutes, with the most minutes coming in a game six 51 point blowout loss against the Knicks, where he played 16 minutes.

For the Hawks, they believe they have something special brewing with this young roster that could be a contender for a second-round or Eastern Conference Final appearance in the near future. As for Dallas, they don't own a first-round pick for another five years and need some more young talent to pair alongside Cooper Flagg, and this is the only way they can do it in the future, if not in free agency.

For the Thunder, this was just a move to continue shedding salary and to create roster flexibility for themselves without being in the second apron. Overall, each team got what they were looking for.

Will the Hawks regret trading a player they took with the first overall pick just two offseasons ago? It is possible, but this front office and coaching staff decided to move and Risacher is going to get a fresh start in Dallas.