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‘He’s awesome…’ Atlanta Hawks executive says recent signings and trades were inspired by one player

Originally posted on NBA Analysis Network
By Aaditya Krishnamurthy | Last updated Jul 24, 2025 4:15 PM ET

The Atlanta Hawks are going all-in next season, and it’s because of one player stepping up, and it isn’t Trae Young.

The Atlanta Hawks have been one of the most active teams this offseason. After years of middling success, the Hawks have decided to invest in their side.

The first big move for the Hawks was trading for Kristaps Porzingis. Replacing the outgoing Clint Capela with a former All-Star and champion is a huge statement of intent.

The Hawks also made sure to land Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a sign-and-trade deal to add some depth to their backcourt.

With an eye to the future, the Hawks traded down using their #13 pick to secure an unprotected first-round pick next season.

Many fans presume the Hawks are trying to convince Trae Young to stay with these moves. But it appears another young star’s brilliant performances last season encouraged them even further.

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Zaccharie Risacher’s brilliant rookie year convinced front office to invest in team

Keith Smith of Spotrac spoke to several NBA teams and front offices recently. When discussing their moves with the Atlanta Hawks, one anonymous executive shed light on their thought process.

He revealed that Zaccharie Risacher’s brilliant performance as a rookie played a huge part in them investing in their side. Risacher’s development has instilled confidence in the squad to compete.

“A big part of the reason we were willing to add guys to push forward was the play of Zaccharie Risacher. From Christmas on, he was awesome.

“Go look up the stats and you’ll see how good he was after Christmas…

“We know what Trae (Young) and Jalen (Johnson) are. Dyson (Daniels) has become a big-time player. But Zaccharie gave us the confidence to add to the roster.”

Atlanta Hawks are thrilled with their offseason activity

The anonymous Hawks executive also gushed about the team’s moves this offseason. He claimed that they had one of the best offseasons in the NBA and are ready to compete next season.

“We feel like we had one of the best offseasons in the entire league. I know that’s confident, but we got Kristaps (Porzingis) in a trade and signed Nickeil (Alexander-Walker) and Luke (Kennard). Who else added three players that good?

“Those are big-time players who all fill needs for us. We’re going to be deep and really versatile next season. We won’t put any kind of expectations on our group, but we’re not putting any kind of artificial limits on them either.”

The Hawks will probably target extending Trae Young’s contract next. The former All-Star guard is eligible to earn a four-year, $222 million extension.

However, with the new CBA and the financial restrictions that come with it, the Hawks may try to offer him a smaller contract. With the way they’ve built around him, Young might agree to give them the best chance to compete going forward.

This article first appeared on NBA Analysis Network and was syndicated with permission.

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