The Hawks opt for Risacher in what’s unlikely to be a popular selection.
A month and a half after unexpectedly winning the 2024 NBA Draft Lottery with just a 3% chance, the Hawks tonight had the opportunity to draft a player with the first overall pick for the first time in 49 years. While that player, Hall of Famer David Thompson, never played a minute for the Hawks, this time things will seemingly be different.
Zaccharie Risacher (REE-sah-shay), a 6-foot-10 (with shoes) small forward out of France who last played for Bourg-en-Bresse out of the LNB Élite (the top professional league in France), heard his name called by the Atlanta Hawks tonight. Last season, Risacher averaged 11.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 0.8 steals, 1.6 turnovers and 23.3 minutes per game in 65 contests across all leagues (including the Eurocup), per RealGM.
Risacher is a tall, quick trigger swing forward who, at the age of 18 years old, contributed to a strong Bourg basketball team in a pair of tough European leagues. For more information on this prospect, please see Part 1 and Part 2 of his draft scouting profile per Peachtree Hoops’ own Graham Chapple.
The pick is the sole selection owned by the Hawks in this draft, barring another transaction to add picks. Atlanta will now turn its attention to a pivotal free agency period where trade activity is expected to shake up the roster.