It was always going to be a steep climb, especially after Victor Wembanyama was a predecessor. Zaccharie Risacher, another highly rated young French star, has been handed a brutal reality check by the franchise that drafted him with its No. 1 pick about 18 months ago. With the Atlanta Hawks 15-18 for the season, a team that has lost 10 of its last 12 games, something had to change… it begins with the 20-year-old, and fans seem to agree.

This season, Risacher is averaging 10.7 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.5 assists, shooting 45.5% from the field and 33.3% from three-point range. Surprisingly, all other stats, except assists, are worse than his rookie-season performance. It is part of the reason why the Hawks have relied more on other youngsters such as Jalen Johnson, Dyson Daniels, Asa Newell, and Onyeka Okongwu, making their #1 draft pick from 2024 feel expendable.

According to Marc Stein, “It is also increasingly believed that Atlanta is willing to surrender Zaccharie Risacher in the proverbial right scenario, since the No. 1 overall pick in the draft just 18 months ago has not developed as the Hawks would have hoped to this point.”

Risacher’s physical development was a talking point since the Hawks picked him last year. The franchise no longer trusted the 20-year-old, as evidenced by recent games. The 126-133 loss to the Charlotte Hornets drew attention because the young player played zero closing minutes.

The downward trend continued as the Hawks fell 152-150 to the Chicago Bulls. As volatile as they’ve been this season, holding Risacher out of crunch time is a strong message the team is trying to send. Dyson Daniels, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, and Vit Krejci held down his wing role in the closing minutes, and Risacher finished the game with only 5 points in 20 minutes.

This goes back to how poorly Risacher began his season. He averaged 11.3 points on 29.2% from deep and 44.2% from the field through his first 15 games.

That’s when reports emerged that they were considering moving on from the Frenchman. It was Amazon Prime’s Chris Haynes who first shared the development on Friday.

The Hawks “remain very intrigued” in potentially trading for Anthony Davis, though the Dallas Mavericks would probably prioritize getting back expiring contracts, draft picks, and young players like Zaccharie Risacher rather than Trae Young (who is also rumored to urgently be touted for an exit before his player option in 2026-27). Naturally, fans have started pouring in criticism and even comparisons as the Hawks made their decision.

Will Zaccharie Risacher’s performance find the required suitors? Hawks fans cannot believe their luck…

The Stein report added that to acquire Davis, the Hawks will have to add the expiring contracts of Kristaps Porzingis and Luke Kennard.

So, a fan ran the mock draft simulator on Spotrac, and the trade was successful. “KP + Risacher for AD? ” The only caveat was that the Mavericks would have to waive one player from their roster.

Since Zaccharie Risacher’s stock is falling, Stein also added that there will have to be additional draft compensation…

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“Yet even if the Hawks are prepared to package Risacher with the expiring contracts… it is unclear how much additional draft compensation they would be willing (or able) to add to the deal to convince the Dallas Mavericks part with Davis in-season,” Stein clarified in his report.

Reading this, an observer couldn’t believe that the Hawks are ready to trade their #1 pick from 2024.

“Gave up on him in year 2, that’s crazy 😭😭😭,” a fan wrote.

Risacher’s performance during the summer was also uninspiring. The 20-year-old averaged 9.7 points on 41.4% shooting on 3-point shots at the FIBA European Basketball Championship.

That prompted one fan to say, “Its been a long time since we’ve seen a number 1 pick bust but he might be the one.”

The comparisons soon followed with the other No. 1 draft picks. Another fan shared a photo of Anthony Edwards, Cade Cunningham, Paolo Banchero, Victor Wembanyama, and Cooper Flagg to showcase the disparity in quality that Risacher has shown so far.

“That is just some s— luck 😬,” a fan wrote.

While the 2024 class was considered weak in comparison to other years, you don’t often see a move to trade your #1 drafted player. If history bears any hope for the Frenchman, Zion Williamson is still with the New Orleans Pelicans despite missing a huge chunk of game time in his career.

A netizen simply stated, “Wild already 😳 No.1 pick talks after 18 months says a lot.”

While the Hawks are already sending the message that Zaccharie Risacher is on the table for future trades, and Young’s future is up in the air, they also own the Pelicans’ first-rounder for next season’s draft, which could very well end up being a lottery selection. The Mavericks will undeniably seek that pick if the Hawks’ interest in Davis continues… although letting it go should be non-negotiable! Darryn Peterson, AJ Dybantsa, or Cameron Boozer could be on the cards.

Zaccharie Risacher’s employers have more future draft assets that can be dangled, including pick-swap rights to the less favorable of the first-round picks between the Pelicans and the Milwaukee Bucks in 2027. It could be valuable if Giannis Antetokounmpo decides to move.

All in all, while this saga is puzzling, the Hawks seem confident that Risacher’s future with the franchise has come to an end. It’s now about how smart the team is in navigating between a win-now trade like Anthony Davis or building for the future, patiently.