The Philadelphia 76ers have every reason to try to be opportunistic. Their salary books are muddled with booming salaries, and the new CBA basically requires them to get a lot more creative when it comes to building the roster, lest they would be forced to let go of some highly desirable commodities just to put out a viable roster.
As such, the front office should put a strong emphasis on finding young talents, even if that means dangling away some of their own. One name worth monitoring in this regard is Zaccharie Risacher, last year’s first overall pick in the draft, who suddenly finds himself having one foot out of the door with his current ball club.
Many have already reported that the Hawks are conducive to the idea of trading Risacher, who has not panned out the way they expected in Year 2. While it is too early to slap a stern judgment on such a young prospect, Atlanta seems to have already found its desired nucleus — one that ironically does not include the first overall pick.
No one has raised this yet, but Risacher is someone whom the 76ers should try to pursue.
The 76ers should throw their hat in the ring for Zaccharie Risacher
The Frenchman has undoubtedly stagnated in his sophomore year, but sophomore slumps are far from out of the ordinary in the NBA. Still, with Atlanta being open to parting with Risacher, the 76ers could look to strike the iron while it’s still hot and go after the 20-year-old.
Risacher is more of a play finisher and spot-up shooter right now, but the 76ers could most certainly use someone like him. At 6’8, he has great size for his position, and his athleticism is not exactly lacking.
As currently constructed, the 76ers hypothetically have the ideal training grounds for him. Risacher will not have to worry about putting up lofty numbers right now, and he can focus on polishing his game on the margins while growing as a scorer when the team’s core players start to take a step back.
Figuring out the return package for the Hawks is what makes this tricky. The realistic option is for the 76ers to offer Jared McCain, but Atlanta has yet to show any degree of interest about the prospect of getting another guard, especially since they have not yet parted with Trae Young.
For now, a McCain-Risacher swap seems to be a viable trade framework. There is still some risk involved in this proposition, but Risacher is still way too talented to just gloss over, especially when he is made this available. The 76ers should at least try to explore the idea of being the ones to usher in his development.