The NBA Draft Combine is over and there are now just five weeks until the 2024 NBA Draft. The dust has settled quite a bit since the Atlanta Hawks shocked the world and won the Draft Lottery, but what Atlanta will do with the pick is still very much in the air. Whether they keep the pick or trade it, what the Hawks do with the No.1 pick is going to be one of the top storylines of the offseason, along with what they decide to do with their backcourt of Dejounte Murray and Trae Young.
Most mock draftssince the Hawks won the lottery have seen Atlanta take Alex Sarr, the 7'1 220 LBS forward/center from France. Sarr fits a huge need for the Hawks, as he is projected to be an excellent defender with length and athleticism, though his offensive game needs to come along. In the latest mock draft from Bleacher Report Draft Analyst Jonathan Wasserman, the Hawks switch things up and take French forward Zaccharie Risacher.
May 12 Mock Draft Spot: No. 2
Team: JL Bourg-en-Bresse
Position: SG/SF
Size: 6'8", 204 lbs
Age/Year: 19
Nationality: French
Pro Comparison: Harrison Barnes
"With lottery teams paying close attention to the LNB Pro A playoffs, Zaccharie Risacher picked a good time to explode for a career-high 28 points on Saturday.
The Atlanta Hawks' big decision-makers made the trip to France for JL Bourg's previous game.
While scouts continue to debate the height of Risacher's ceiling, there is also perceived level of certainty tied to his positional size, athleticism, shotmaking and defensive tools/quickness. And in a draft where there isn't an obvious, sure-thing All-Star at the top, Risacher's floor and valued three-and-D archetype could give him an edge with a team that saw AJ Griffin struggle with injuries and Saddiq Bey go down late to an ACL tear."
Atlanta Hawks head coach Quin Snyder, general manager Landry Fields, and assistant general manager Kyle Korver were sitting courtside to watch potential No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher play in the playoffs last week in France.
Dimanche soir, Atlanta a hérité du premier choix de draft #NBA à la surprise générale.
— Alexandre Lacoste (@Alex__Lacoste) May 16, 2024
Quatre jours plus tard, le coach des Hawks, Quin Snyder, et le GM adjoint Kyle Korver ont fait le déplacement jusqu’à Bourg pour observer Zaccharie Risacher en playoffs de #BetclicÉLITE ! pic.twitter.com/N2l9ZrQ2yQ
While most of the attention is going to be on Sarr, it would be malpractice for the Hawks to not look atevery option in front of them. This pick is critical for their future and they need to nail this selection right. I also think it is possible if they like Risacher enough, they could trade down to get him while acquiring some extra draft capital.
I think if the Hawks decide to not take Sarr, Risacher is one of a handful of guys that could be in contention for the pick.
Risacher has the most range of anyone in this draft, meaning I have seen him projected to go near the top, but also seen him towards the 7-10 range. He is a talented wing player who would bring versatility and athleticism to the position and fill a lot of needs for the Hawks. The question with him is on the offensive end, especially his consistency. This is another high-risk proposition for the Hawks if they take him, but his upside and potential is clearly there.
Last week at the NBA Draft Combine, ESPN's Jonathan Givony was talking about the Hawks and what they might do with the No. 1 pick and he suggested that there could be a wide net cast with that pick and suggested other players that could be in the mix with the pick:
"The Atlanta Hawks have a long process in front of them that includes interviews, medicals, workouts, background checks, and I think that they are going to cast a wide net here with Alex Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher, Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham, and Donovan Clingan. I think it is going to be quite a process here for them to figure out who they are going to take."
I fully expect Atlanta to go through and look at every possible outcome with the No. 1 pick, though I think Sarr should still be considered the favorite. I know that Givony mentioned Dillingham, but he is one of the few players at the top of this draft that I don't think the Hawks will take, even if they decide to trade Trae Young. Anything can happen, but I think the probability of the Hawks taking Dillingham is low. Matas Buzelis, a player that was not mentioned by Givony, is a player that is more likely to be considered for the No. 1 pick than Dillingham.
There are five weeks until the 2024 NBA Draft and it is going to be a crucial time period for the Hawks. Even if they did not land the No. 1 pick, it was going to be a huge offseason in Atlanta. This just adds another layer to it and the Hawks front office and decision makers need to make the right decisions to set this franchise up for the future.
