Pelicans Could Target Former 1st-Overall Pick Who Is Now on the Trade Block

The New Orleans Pelicans could target Zaccharie Risacher as a buy-low trade candidate at the deadline.

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It behooves the New Orleans Pelicans to be active on the trade market ahead of the February 5 deadline. While most of the attention has understandably been given to whether the Pels will trade the likes of Zion Williamson, Herb Jones, and Trey Murphy, they also need to think about who they can add to their young core. The Pelicans have a bright future with Jeremiah Fears and Derik Queen, but they need to be intentional about what types of other young players they need to surround their two standout rookies.

One intriguing trade candidate would be Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks. The first-overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, the French forward has yet to justify his draft spot. Despite getting a significant opportunity in Atlanta, Risacher hasn't established himself, seeing a reduction in his role in recent weeks. In fact, he has seen his usage rate go down to 18.5% (from 20.9% as a rookie) and True Shooting to 54.5% this season (from 55.8% as a rookie).

This is not a promising trend as top lottery picks generally increase their offensive role and efficiency after their first season in the league. As a result, the Hawks are reportedly ready to move on from him in the "right scenario", per NBA insider Marc Stein.

Pelicans Should Explore Trading for Zaccharie Risacher

In the scenarios Stein describes, the Hawks are trying to trade for a star like Anthony Davis and are using Risacher as a matching salary and a positive asset. The Pelicans could act as a third team and a facilitator to land Risacher in such deals or engage in trade talks with the Hawks to acquire him in exchange for a veteran and draft capital.

The Hawks are presumably not interested in moving on from Risacher for only matching salary and flotsam, but the Pelicans have enough assets to intrigue the Hawks.

While Risacher has not been good so far, he is only 20 years old and has plenty of potential. At six-foot-eight and solid length and athleticism, Risacher has the building blocks of a modern, versatile wing. He can shoot the ball at a reasonable clip and hold his own defensively. The actualized version of Risacher is a high-level three-and-D player with some ball skills. The problem for him so far has been his lack of intensity and physicality. He doesn't play with enough aggressiveness to take advantage of his physical tools and skill set, making him a disappointment so far.

But progress is not linear. Some players take a while to develop. Giving Risacher more of an opportunity to explore the studio space in New Orleans makes a ton of sense for a franchise desperate to add more young talent.