NBA Analyst Reveals The Atlanta Hawks' Biggest Win And Loss Of The 2024 Offseason

Is taking Zaccharie Risacher at the top of the draft enough to offset the loss of Dejounte Murray?

Jul 12, 2024; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Atlanta Hawks forward Zaccharie Risacher (10) dribbles the ball against the Washington Wizards during the first half at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports / Lucas Peltier-USA TODAY Sports

In the 2024 offseason, the Atlanta Hawks made their fair share of moves. They've added good rotation pieces to the roster in Dyson Daniels and Larry Nance Jr, traded away former All-Star guard Dejounte Murray, drafted Zaccharie Risacher with the first overall pick, re-signed Vit Krejci on a long-term deal and signed Summer League standout Keaton Wallace to a two-way contract.

They did not trade either of Clint Capela or DeAndre Hunter, who stick out as the most obvious trade candidates. Capela's lack of secondary skills outside of his rebounding and his waning defensive skills do not match up with his $22.2 million dollar salary. On the other hand, Hunter is a solid two-way wing whose injury history and inconsistent play have not merited the cap hits of $21 million, $23 million and $24 million that he has for the next three seasons. Trading either of them for a solid return could have also impacted the quality of this offseason.

Dan Favale of Bleacher Report recently ranked the biggest win and loss of the 2024 offseason for every team in the NBA - including the Hawks. Unsurprisingly, he had the trade of Dejounte Murray as the biggest loss for the Hawks. Favale had this to say about Murray's departure:

"Trading Murray stings on three fronts. It is first and foremost an admittance that the Hawks never should have acquired him. After that, Atlanta must grapple with having accepted a largely future-focused return despite not really controlling its own future. (See: Draft obligations to San Antonio). And finally, regardless of how you feel about his fit or the return on his departure, the Hawks are now tasked with replacing 22.5 points, 6.4 assists and 7.1 three-point attempts per game."

I do think there were several candidates for the Hawks' biggest win of the NBA offseason. Landing Dyson Daniels, getting the first overall pick and getting back into the 2025 NBA draft by way of the Dejounte Murray trade all stick out as candidates. However, Favale ultimately went with the headliner and suggested landing the No. 1 overall pick was Atlanta's biggest win of the offseason. He had this to say about winning the draft lottery:

"Winning the draft lottery is a HugeFreakingDeal for a franchise that doesn't control its next three first-rounders. Whether you think the Atlanta Hawks made the most of that pick is debatable. Zaccharie Risacher seems more plug-and-play than conventional star prospect. But 1) we can't know for sure until he plays the games, and 2) that's not the end of the world. Risacher's hustle in transition and half-court floor navigation will translate, and his value skyrockets should he consistently bang in triples, even if only from the corners. Also, even with De'Andre Hunter and Dyson Daniels in the fold, Risacher is likely Atlanta's best shot at having someone next season who qualifies as a two-way wing."

Overall, I agree with his assessment that landing Risacher was Atlanta's biggest win of the offseason. His ceiling may be in question, but he clearly offers skills that the Hawks need right now on their roster. His defense in transition and at the point-of-attack, promise as a shooter and connective passing will all gel next to a potential star duo of Trae Young and Jalen Johnson. Whatever the case, the No. 1 pick is often transformative for franchises - for better or worse - and landing it clearly has the highest potential to improve Atlanta's fortunes.

Murray's loss is also significant, but I think it is significant in the amount of good it can do for the roster. Last year, Murray had the second-worst defensive box plus-minus of his career and accrued the second lowest defensive win shares of his career as well. Advanced stats don't tell the full story on defense, but Murray looked fairly uncomfortable guarding anyone other than point guards last year. His defensive impact was overstated and his shot attempts are now avalaible for Johnson and Risacher. Ultimately, ceding more offense to those two should allow for a smoother fit around Young, which is what ultimately matters for the 2024-25 Atlanta Hawks.