After a series of conflicting reports regarding Zaccharie Risacher’s trade availability, sources close to the Atlanta Hawks clarified the situation: Risacher is potentially available, but not for Anthony Davis, per Marc Stein.
This is the most logical stance the Hawks can take. Risacher has had an underwhelming season, but he has incredibly high potential as a do-it-all low-usage forward. While his lack of star upside prevents him from being a truly “untouchable” asset, he is the prototypical forward partner for Jalen Johnson.
The Hawks have a massive hole at the center position, and Davis is the best option to fill this void. Still, Risacher is far too high a price for the Hawks to pay.
The Hawks are taking the safe route
Anthony Davis would instantly solve the Hawks’ most urgent problem: their lack of size. Kristaps Porzingis is nominally the starting center, but he’s played in just 20% of Atlanta’s minutes.
The team has thrived with Porzingis on the floor, who holds a +6.8 on/off differential (diff). He ranks in the top 20% of centers in opponent FG% diff, opponent rim FG% diff, off-ball shot attempts, shots created, and true shooting on created shots (per Databallr). In English, this means he is a lockdown defender, spaces the floor, and can generate his own shot. He is still an elite center who fits the Hawks perfectly.
While these are exciting attributes, fans should expect Porzingis to miss serious time due to illness, injury, or load management.
This is why Davis would make perfect sense in Atlanta. While he isn’t as dynamic an offensive threat as the Hawks’ big man, he addresses their weakness on the glass and in the paint even better than Porzingis does. Assuming the Mavs' big is healthy for the playoffs, this team could instantly become dark horse Finals contenders.
But would the Hawks still be contenders without Risacher? Nickeil Alexander-Walker would assume his starting spot, but the Hawks would have a serious hole at the backup forward position. Even if they found another wing to fill this role, Davis is not guaranteed to be healthy.
If Davis had a pristine injury record, perhaps it would be worth considering a trade centered around Risacher. But he’s played over 60 regular-season games in just one season this decade, and he has played in just 50% of Dallas’s games this year.
Risacher isn’t your typical first overall pick, but he has shown flashes of being an elite supporting player. The risk-reward ratio is just too high to justify trading him for a player who will almost certainly be a negative-value asset in a couple of years.