Just two years after selecting Zaccharie Risacher at No. 1 overall in the 2024 NBA Draft, the Atlanta Hawks could push him out of the rotation. Risacher put together a strong rookie season, but struggled in 2025-26 and is now staring down the possibility of Atlanta drafting his replacement.
If the Hawks draft Nate Ament at No. 8 overall, then they'd be simultaneously investing in a promising talent and completing the process of alienating Risacher.
Risacher averaged 12.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists, and 1.6 three-point field goals made on .458/.355/.711 shooting in 2024-25. His minutes decreased from 24.6 to 22.2 between his first and second seasons, however, and he appeared in just three of the Hawks' seven playoff games in 2026.
Compounded by the fact that the Hawks completed a mid-season trade for Jonathan Kuminga, it certainly seems as though Risacher's days are numbered—or at least that Atlanta is looking at other options.
When the Hawks come up at No. 8 overall in the 2026 NBA Draft, their belief in Risacher will be tested. Ament is far from the only player on the board, but he's a viable option garnering top-10 hype and an unavoidably similar player to Risacher.
The question is: Should the Hawks throw caution to the wind and making Ament their selection in an attempt to finally resolve the issues at forward?
Nate Ament is a viable option at No. 8, but Hawks would be replacing Zaccharie Risacher
Ament stands at 6'9.5" without shoes and 211 pounds with a 6'11.5" wingspan and a 9'1.5" standing reach. Considering how similar their raw skill sets are, that effectively makes Ament a bigger version of Risacher, who checked in at 6'8.5" and 195 pounds with a 6'9.5" wingspan and an 8'11" standing reach.
One simply can't help but wonder if that makes Ament the type of player Atlanta would prioritize if they've lost faith in Risacher, but still value a player who fits his archetype.
Ament certainly offers reason for intrigue as a forward with clear three-level scoring potential and intriguing defensive upside. He was inefficient as a freshman, but showcased processing speed that was beyond his years and appears to be the ideal level of refinement away from realizing a significant level of potential.
Ament isn't the type of player Atlanta can immediately plug in and expect big results from, but he's a promising prospect whose salary would be around half of Risacher's in 2026-27 and beyond.
Effectively getting a do-over with Risacher at half the cost with better measurables is an intriguing option for the Hawks to consider. In that scenario, they could move Risacher in a trade and prioritize Kuminga in the interim.
There's nothing that guarantees Atlanta will draft Ament, but if this pick comes to pass, it would seemingly signal the end of the Risacher experience.
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