The Atlanta Hawks had only a 3% chance of landing the first overall pick in the NBA Draft, but luck was on their side.
They now have their future after selecting Zaccharie Risacher with the first pick on Wednesday night.
There was no consensus on the top selection, so this could be a risk. Atlanta could have changed to take a safer route, especially considering the first pick was the only one in the draft.
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Zaccharie Risacher celebrates after being selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks during the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft at Barclays Center on June 26, 2024, in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
But the Hawks kept the pick despite having plenty of options.
General manager Landry Fields said he received calls from executives interested in trading for the No. 1 pick. Fields acknowledged that he had to consider offers because the Hawks had no other draft picks this year and few picks in upcoming drafts.
The Hawks' future drafts were weakened by their 2022 trade with San Antonio for Dejounte Murray. Atlanta traded 2025 and 2027 first-round picks with the Spurs and also included a swap of 2026 picks in the trade.
Zaccharie Risacher smiles before the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft on June 26, 2024 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. (Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images)
Risacher, who turned 19 in April, has been playing for the LNB, France's top professional basketball league, and was an All-Star last season.
The 6-foot-9 forward averaged 10.1 points and 3.8 rebounds last season. His father is Stéphane Risacher, who won a silver medal at the 2000 Olympics with the French team.
Risacher is expected to join guards Trae Young and Murray and forward Jalen Johnson as key players on a team that has not won a playoff series since advancing to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals.
Zaccharie Risacher of Bourg en Bresse drives to the basket during a Betclic Elite agae against Paris at Adidas Arena on April 28, 2024 in Paris. (Aurelien Meunier/Getty Images)
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It was the first time the Hawks had the No. 1 pick since 1975, when they selected David Thompson, a five-time All-Star and NBA Hall of Fame. However, the Draft Lottery had not yet been established, so this year was the first time the Hawks won it.
Scott Thompson of Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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