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The Atlanta Hawks participated in a blockbuster three-team trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Dallas Mavericks this weekend, which sent their former No. 1 pick, Zaccharie Risacher, to the Mavericks.
Trae Young, who played the first seven years of his NBA career on the Hawks, weighed in on the trade, seeming to suggest it was good for Risacher to get out of Atlanta.
“My boy free! Go fly killa!” Young wrote in a social media comment reacting to the deal.
Risacher joined the Hawks in 2024 as the first overall pick, but didn’t quite make the splash other recent top picks have made. He averaged 9.6 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game last season for the Hawks in a reserve role, playing 22.4 minutes per game.
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Young was traded from Atlanta to the Washington Wizards in January, where he’s now part of a rebuilding squad that just landed No. 1 pick AJ Dybantsa out of BYU. Last month, the Wizards signed Young to a four-year, $212 million deal.
In addition, the team acquired Anthony Davis in a trade this past season, who they’re hoping will be healthy and on the court in their starting lineup. Young seems optimistic about the new situation he’s in after leading the Hawks to playoff success from 2021 to 2023.
Meanwhile, Risacher is joining last year’s No. 1 pick, Cooper Flagg, in Dallas, along with guard Kyrie Irving, giving him the potential to contribute, depending on how new coach Dusty May uses him in the rotation. It remains to be seen if this team becomes a contender in the Western Conference, but they have a chance with the emergence of Flagg and the return of Irving to the lineup.
Based on Young’s comment, he really disliked his time in Atlanta, or there’s an overall sentiment that the organization and team situation isn’t great to play within. The Hawks reached the postseason last year without Young and were the only team to beat the New York Knicks twice in the playoffs.
In the recent three-team trade, Atlanta brought in OKC defensive wing Lu Dort and guard Ryan Nembhard, while the Thunder received three future second-round picks and a $17 million trade exception so they can duck the second apron.
Based on Young’s comment and the way the trade looks on its surface, Risacher got something good out of the deal. Meanwhile, Dort went from a championship contender to a team others don’t seem to like playing for, and that probably won’t be competing in the NBA Finals anytime soon.
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For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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