Atlanta Hawks dump former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher after disappointing two-year stint
Zaccharie Risacher is a name you probably haven’t heard much about since he was selected first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.
After two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Risacher is already on the move.
Another NBA trade went down on Sunday, sending the 21-year-old to the Dallas Mavericks, bringing an early end to Atlanta’s crushing gamble.
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Zaccharie Risacher #10 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers in the third quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on March 1, 2026. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Atlanta acquired Lu Dort from the Thunder, Oklahoma City secured two second-round picks and Dallas acquired Risacher and guard Ryan Nembhard from the Hawks.
The best picks are rarely cut this quickly. While draft night trades happen within minutes and Andrew Wiggins was flipped for Kevin Love before suiting up for the Cavaliers 57 days after the draft, dealing the top pick two years later for purely basketball reasons is an entirely different category of rarity.
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Risacher, who is moving on after just 142 career games, is in rare company alongside Markelle Fultz, who was traded from Philadelphia after 33 games over two injury-plagued seasons, and Pervis Ellison, who spent just one year in Sacramento before being dealt.
Unlike Fultz or Ellison, Risacher was not sidelined by shoulder discomfort or lingering health issues. After just two seasons, Atlanta decided not to pursue a top-flight finish and pulled the plug.
Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher passes San Antonio Spurs’ Chris Paul in the first half at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas. (Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)
Atlanta Hawks’ Zaccharie Risacher reacts to Keaton Wallace after making a 3-pointer against the Toronto Raptors during the Emirates NBA Cup game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Risacher was part of an underwhelming 2024 NBA Draft class that featured top-10 picks like Alex Sarr and Cody Williams. Risacher was far from the No. 1 overall pick, with many defending Sarr at the time.
That year’s poor choices were also highlighted by the departure of Wembanyama the year before and Cooper Flagg the year after.
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The 6-foot-10 Risacher entered the league as a tall, two-way wing whose upside was his shooting ability. After averaging 12.6 points as a rookie, he dropped to 9.6 in his second season.
Zaccharie Risacher, No. 10 of the Atlanta Hawks, dunks against the Brooklyn Nets in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 23, 2024. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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