The Atlanta Hawks selected Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. On Sunday, they essentially admitted that was a mistake, trading him to the Dallas Mavericks in a three-team deal in which they came away with Oklahoma City Thunder wing Lu Dort.
Giving up on a 21-year-old just two seasons later just goes to show how weak the 2024 draft class truly was. Fortunately, the Portland Trail Blazers somehow managed to come away with a building block in Donovan Clingan with their No. 7 overall pick.
It's fair to question if he's truly the best in the class, especially with Clingan's former UConn teammate and fellow national champion Stephon Castle landing with the San Antonio Spurs at pick No. 4. But at the time, Atlanta was even considering taking Clingan with its top pick. And what isn't up for debate is that would've been a far better decision for the Hawks in retrospect.
Clingan's elite rebounding and rim protection immediately gave Portland a defensive anchor, helping establish an identity in their rebuild. He would've done the same wherever he ultimately landed, including in Atlanta.
Hawks should've played it safer with Donovan Clingan's high floor
This summer the Hawks drafted Houston's Kingston Flemings, finally giving them a long-term point guard. But another option was Michigan big man Aday Mara, with talks about how they are looking to bolster their frontcourt to get the relatively undersized but versatile Onyeka Okongwu more help.
It's too early to say Fleming was the right or wrong pick over Mara, but Atlanta wouldn't even have that glaring frontcourt need had they gone with Clingan a few years prior.
It's not just the Hawks that messed up, as it's surprising the Blazers were able to come away with Clingan at No. 7 without having to trade up. Sean Highkin of Rose Garden Report has previously even mentioned his "strong suspicion" that Clingan was the top-ranked prospect on Portland's board entering the draft.
Two seasons later, we're already seeing why he was valued that highly. His defensive tools immediately translated, giving Clingan a safe floor in an uncertain class. We're seeing the importance of that with Atlanta already moving away from its failed Risacher experiment. Clingan may not have the highest ceiling in the class, but what you can't do with the top pick is come away without someone who can even be considered a key piece of your young core.
The likelihood of Clingan panning out was far more apparent than Risacher's, primarily because he had the physical tools that would more seamlessly translate. An old quote shared by John Hollinger of The Athletic two years ago comes to mind:
"Back in France I was super athletic, now I'm just a regular dude," Risacher said.
As evidenced by how little the Hawks received for their former No. 1 pick, it seems like the rest of the league is already aware that Risacher is just a regular dude in the NBA, too.
Just looking at Clingan, you can tell he's far from the norm. But it's those physical tools paired with his ability to anticipate plays, see the court, and stretch the floor that make him an above-average starting center heading into Year 3. The talent disparity wasn't that apparent when the two prospects entered the draft, but this trade shows how much their values have shifted just two seasons later.
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