The Atlanta Hawks are open to trading their 2024 No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher under the right scenario, NBA insider Marc Stein reports. While that report came as part of Stein's latest intel (subscription required) that the Hawks are interested in Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis, the Portland Trail Blazers should absolutely be working the phones to steal Risacher.
Multi-team trades have become common in the NBA, and it could make even more sense mid-season as teams have much less financial flexibility to work with. Even cutting Dallas out entirely could make sense, as Portland is loaded with young assets that should appeal to the retooling Hawks. Regardless, Risacher is the exact type of swing the Blazers should be looking to take by the Feb. 5 trade deadline.
Zaccharie Risacher would be perfect for Portland's young core
The 2024 draft class drew a lot of criticism, mainly because there wasn't a can't-miss headliner to drastically alter the trajectory of a franchise. Risacher is now sandwiched between Cooper Flagg and Victor Wembanyama as the most recent No. 1 overall picks. He's even regressed in Year 2, averaging just 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.0 steals on 46/34/68 shooting splits.
The fact that Atlanta is open to trading him after just two seasons tells you all you need to know. As Zach Lowe recently mentioned on The Zach Lowe Show, they should've taken someone like Stephon Castle in retrospect.
“Even though Risacher has been a disappointment, he’s only 20. I think he'll be a good, starting-level player. But if you look at Alex Sarr, Reed Sheppard, and Stephon Castle -- the next three picks -- I don't think it's too early to say the Hawks made the wrong decision on that pick,” Lowe said.
Atlanta likely shouldn't have taken Risacher. He'd still be an ideal trade target for Portland. Both things can be true.
Now that Risacher is in the league, we must give him the Deandre Ayton treatment to a certain extent. Did the Suns mess up taking Ayton? Absolutely, even more so than Atlanta when considering the opportunity cost of Luka Doncic. But while Ayton hasn't lived up to expectations of a No. 1 overall pick, he's still carving out a starting role for himself in Los Angeles.
When you stop looking at Risacher through the lens of a No. 1 pick and start evaluating him going forward, the outlook becomes much more promising. He drew comparisons to Harrison Barnes entering the draft, which still feels like a reasonable career trajectory. Barnes has had an underrated career himself, both in terms of productivity and longevity.
If Portland is able to pull it off, Risacher would be a sneaky addition to their young core. At 6-foot-8, he has the length and versatility the Blazers covet, and would immediately address their lack of depth on the wings.
It's worth exploring the actual asking price, but the fact that Risacher is available at all is a promising sign for a Blazers team expected to be a buyer at the deadline.