{"id":19147,"date":"2026-07-20T11:14:04","date_gmt":"2026-07-20T11:14:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=19147"},"modified":"2026-07-20T11:14:04","modified_gmt":"2026-07-20T11:14:04","slug":"atlanta-hawks-dump-former-no-1-pick-zaccharie-risacher-after-disappointing-two-year-stint","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/playball.com.ng\/?p=19147","title":{"rendered":"Atlanta Hawks dump former No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher after disappointing two-year stint"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Zaccharie Risacher is probably a name you haven’t heard much since he was selected first overall in the 2024 NBA Draft.<\/p>\n

After two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, Risacher is already on the move.<\/p>\n

Another NBA trade dropped Sunday, sending the 21-year-old to the Dallas Mavericks and bringing Atlanta’s underwhelming gamble to an early end.<\/p>\n

MAJOR NBA TRADE WON’T BE OFFICIAL UNTIL LEAGUE’S INVESTIGATION INTO TEAM’S SALARY CAP ACCUSATIONS IS COMPLETE<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\"Zaccharie<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Zaccharie Risacher No. 10 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Portland Trail Blazers during the third quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on March 1, 2026.<\/span> (Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Atlanta received Lu Dort from the Thunder, Oklahoma City secured two second-round picks, and Dallas landed Risacher and guard Ryan Nembhard from the Hawks.<\/p>\n

Top picks rarely get cut loose this quickly. While draft-night trades happen in minutes and Andrew Wiggins was famously flipped 57 days post-draft for Kevin Love before ever putting on a Cavaliers jersey, a top pick getting dealt for purely basketball-related reasons after two years is a whole different category of rare.<\/p>\n

WIZARDS SELECT AJ DYBANTSA FIRST OVERALL IN 2026 NBA DRAFT<\/strong><\/p>\n

Moving on after just 142 career games puts Risacher in rare company alongside Markelle Fultz, who was traded from Philadelphia after 33 games across two injury-plagued seasons, and Pervis Ellison, who lasted just one year in Sacramento before being shipped out.<\/p>\n

Unlike Fultz or Ellison, Risacher wasn’t sidelined by a shoulder condition or persistent health red flags. Atlanta simply pulled the plug, deciding not to stick with the top pick after just two seasons.<\/p>\n

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\"Zaccharie<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks drives past Chris Paul of the San Antonio Spurs in the first half at Frost Bank Center in San Antonio, Texas.<\/span> (Ronald Cortes\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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\"Zaccharie<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks reacts with Keaton Wallace after hitting a 3-point basket against the Toronto Raptors during an Emirates NBA Cup game at State Farm Arena in Atlanta.<\/span> (Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Risacher was part of an underwhelming 2024 NBA Draft class that featured names like Alex Sarr and Cody Williams in the top 10. Risacher was far from the runaway No. 1 overall projection, with many arguing for Sarr at the time.<\/p>\n

That year’s poor selections were also underscored by Wembanyama going the year prior and Cooper Flagg a year later.<\/p>\n

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The 6-foot-8 Risacher entered the league as a long, two-way wing whose upside was tied to his shot-making. He averaged 12.6 points as a rookie before slipping to 9.6 in his second season.<\/p>\n

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\"Zaccharie<\/source><\/source><\/picture><\/div>\n
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Zaccharie Risacher No. 10 of the Atlanta Hawks dunks against the Brooklyn Nets during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Ga., on Oct. 23, 2024.<\/span> (Kevin C. Cox\/Getty Images)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com \/ Follow along on X: @alejandroaveela<\/a><\/p>\n

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Alejandro Avila is a longtime writer at OutKick, living in Southern California. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n