ATLANTA — The NBA draft starts Wednesday night at 8:00 p.m., and the eyes of the basketball are on the Atlanta Hawks and their No. 1 draft pick.
The Hawks have plenty of options — which is the upside of having the top pick in the draft — but there’s no definitive answer about who they should take at this point. Will they select an immediate-impact player, or will they go with a high-potential project player?
Zaccharie Risacher
The FanDuel Sportsbook believes Atlanta will go with French forward Zaccharie Risacher. Risacher — standing at 6-foot-8, 195 pounds — played for JL Bourg in France this past season, averaging 11.1 points and four rebounds over 65 games played. At only 19 years old, he would have plenty of time to refine his game on a Hawks roster that needs young talent.
Donovan Clingan
FanDuel gives Donovan Clingan the second-best odds to go No. 1 in the draft. Clingan, the 7-foot-3 center from UConn, helped his team win an NCAA championship this past season. Clingan anchored one of the best defenses in college basketball, while also averaging 13 points and 7.5 rebounds over 35 games.
Bronny James
There are also a couple of wildcards on the board. The most popular bet to go No. 1 is USC’s Bronny James, despite long odds at every sportsbook. Bronny is the son of NBA superstar LeBron James, who has said he would like to play with his son at some point before his career ends.
Who else could the Hawks pick?
If the Hawks don’t go in any of those directions, there are still options available to them. They could select an international prospect such as pass-first point guard Nikola Topić or the defensive-minded big man Alexandre Sarr. If they’d rather draft someone with NCAA experience, they have guard options such as Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard, and UConn’s Stephon Castle.
What have the Hawks done in the past?
The last time the Hawks had a top-five draft pick, they selected All-NBA guard Trae Young. Young has played well for the team, as he’s been an All-Star three times in his career, and earned a spot on the All-NBA third team in 2022. He also led the Hawks to an Eastern Conference Finals appearance in the 2021 playoffs.
Since taking Young, the Hawks have made nearly a dozen first-round picks in past NBA drafts. Of those picks, only five - De'Andre Hunter, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson, AJ Griffin and Kobe Bufkin - are still on the team. The Hawks have consistently tried to add forward depth to the team, and many of those picks haven't quite worked out.
If the Hawks take Risacher with their first pick on Wednesday, they might finally find that wing depth they've been looking for.