NBA Mock Trade: Spurs Jump to No. 1 in Swap in Hawks

In this mock trade, we’ll evaluate what it might take for San Antonio to nab the top pick from Atlanta.

Apr 8, 2024; Glendale, AZ, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Alex Karaban (11) and center Donovan Clingan (32) reaches for the ball against Purdue Boilermakers center Zach Edey (15) during the second half of the national championship game of the Final Four of the 2024 NCAA Tournament at State Farm Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

There’s been recent rumblings that the Spurs could massively favor a lengthy French wing in the upcoming 2024 NBA Draft, and that the team could be prepared to spend some assets in order to move up and snag him.

There’s likely some merit to those rumors, as soon-to-be superstar Victor Wembanyama and San Antonio would benefit from an infusion of sharpshooting and stingy off-ball defense. Atlanta, though, stands in their way with the No. 1 pick.

Here’s what a mock trade between the two teams could look like:

San Antonio Spurs get: No. 1 (Zaccharie Risacher)

Atlanta Hawks get: No. 4 (Donovan Clingan), No. 8 (Ron Holland)

In this scenario, San Antonio send both of their lottery selections to move up to No. 1 and snag Zaccharie Risacher, a 6-foot-9 wing out of JL Bourg in the LNB Pro A league.

Risacher projects to be a high-level three-and-D player, cashing in on triples off-ball, getting out in transition and using his immense length to create problems on the other end. While selecting that archetype No. 1 overall is a risky gamble for a team looking to get back to contention, they already hit on the lottery last year, and could be fine to add talent of any form.

This deal works favorably for the Hawks, who get two chances at landing high-level prospects alongside their current core. Donovan Clingan comes to mind at the fourth pick, who could similarly infuse the team with length and rim-protection as Alex Sarr could.

At No. 8, they could grab a myriad of players, but I’ve opted for Ron Holland, who offers baseline skills like athleticism, strong transition scoring and high-motor defense with the ceiling to potentially become a star.

While the framework might not be picture perfect, the two teams might have a real pathway towards making this work on draft night.

---

Want to join the discussion? Like Draft Digest on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to stay up to date on all the latest NBA Draft news. You can also meet the team behind the coverage.