Look: Atlanta Hawks Front Office And Head Coach Sitting Courtside To Watch Potential No. 1 Pick

Jackson Caudell | May 16, 2024

Apr 27, 2023; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields on the court before / Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports

There are less than six weeks until the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft and after a shocking Draft Lottery win, the Atlanta Hawks are going to be picking No. 1. Since they won the No. 1 pick, there has been speculation about what Atlanta is going to do with the No. 1 pick, if they stay at No. 1. The player that has been mocked to the Hawks since the lottery has been Alex Sarr, but it has been reported that Atlanta is going to do their due diligence and cast a wide net when it comes to the No. 1 pick.

It appears that is exactly what they are doing today.

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 today in France.

Dimanche soir, Atlanta a hérité du premier choix de draft #NBA à la surprise générale.
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

— Alexandre Lacoste (@Alex__Lacoste) May 16, 2024

While most of the attention is going to be on Sarr, it would be malpractice for the Hawks to not look at every 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.

Yesterday 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 six weeks until the 2024 NBA Draft and it is going to be a curcial 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.