The 2024 NBA Draft tips off on Wednesday night at 4:30 p.m. PT/7:30 p.m. ET on ABC, ESPN and ESPN+. Fresh off a play-in season, the Atlanta Hawks moved up in the NBA’s draft lottery and have secured the No. 1 pick, but it remains unclearly whom they will ultimately select.
During a recent “SportsCenter” segment on ESPN, hoops insider Adrian Wojnarowski revealed that Atlanta’s decision was still very much up in the air.
“Certainly, Zaccharie Risacher, he’s prominent in their conversations in Atlanta. They have not yet landed, I’m told, on who they’re going to take No. 1,” Wojnarowski said. “There are a few players that they really like. What they’re trying to figure out in Atlanta: is there one they love? And they still have 24 hours-plus to make that decision, but they’ve been sifting through all their data. … This is an organization that looks very much like they’re going to keep that No. 1 pick.”
A 6-foot-8 small forward for French pro club Mincidelice JL Bourg, Risacher averaged 10.1 points on .439/.352/.740 shooting splits, 3.8 rebounds, 0.9 assists and 0.8 blocks across 32 contests during the 2023-24 season.
Appearing on ESPN’s “The Pat McAfee Show,” NBA reporter Brian Windhorst echoed Wojnarowski’s sentiments, noting that Hawks seemed undecided about their ultimate player choice for the pick.
“As of last night, I don’t think the Atlanta Hawks knew exactly who they were gonna take. I think they’re leaning towards Zaccharie Risacher, who’s a safe pick at No. 1. He’s 6-foot-9, he can handle the ball a little bit. I actually think he’s a really good passer. I got to see him play in person,” Windhorst said. “He’s not the type of guy who’s going to come in and change the direction of a franchise but he could come in and be a good third or fourth starter on a really good team some day. And [in] this draft, that’s pretty good. And then probably Alex Sarr [will be the No. 2 pick] … You’re drafting upside there, you’re talking, like, a few years away from him really being an impact player.”
The French-born Sarr, ranked No. 2 on ESPN’s current big board to Risacher, is a 7-foot-1 power forward/center for the Perth Wildcats of Australia’s National Basketball League. In 2023-24, he posted averages of 9.7 points on 52 percent shooting from the floor and 71.4 percent shooting from the charity stripe, 4.4 rebounds, 1.3 blocks and 0.9 dimes, in just 17.2 minutes per game.
Neither young player is projected to boast superstar upside, but for an Atlanta team looking for stability and depth, with two young All-Star-caliber guards in its backcourt, that could be just what the doctor ordered.
The Hawks are led by president Landry Fields, a former journeyman shooting guard.
