Mavericks' Anthony Davis trade dreams collapse as No. 1 pick is ripped off the table

Ever since the Atlanta Hawks showed interest in trading for Anthony Davis, Zaccharie Risacher has been a rumored trade target of the Dallas Mavericks. The Hawks seemed willing to part with Risacher if the right trade presented itself, as his development hasn't gone as well as they had hoped, but that doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

The Hawks seem convinced that holding onto the 2024 No. 1 overall pick is the best path forward, ruining the Mavericks' chance to pair him with Cooper Flagg.

According to NBA insider Marc Stein, "the Hawks do not believe an in-season swing for Davis meets those parameters when it comes to 2024's No. 1 overall pick." Atlanta doesn't believe that a trade (subscription required) for Davis is a big enough move that they'd be willing to trade Risacher, putting the Mavericks in a tough spot when it comes to the pursuit of the young wing.

Hawks won't part with Zaccharie Risacher in an Anthony Davis deal

He seemed like the perfect young player to target in a Davis trade. Risacher is only 20 years old, has plenty of untapped potential, and seemingly was attainable considering his struggles this season. Dallas was going to be the perfect spot for him, as it would've provided him with a low-pressure environment where he could just be himself.

He would no longer have the weight of the world on his shoulders to be a star, as all eyes are already on Flagg. Risacher could just play his game, and grow at his own rate rather than every fan in the city expecting him to be the franchise savior.

He still has plenty of time to evolve into the player that fans once expected him to be, but it's going to be hard in his current situation.

He is averaging 10.8 points, 3.2 rebounds, and 0.9 steals per game while shooting 45.5 percent from downtown, and he isn't playing like a No. 1 pick at this moment in his NBA journey. His role in Quin Snyder's rotation is diminishing, and it seems like he is only starting on the wing still because of his status, not his skill.

Mavericks fans wanted the team to buy low and give him a fresh start, but the Hawks aren't as eager as they once were to get rid of him. Even if it nets them a 10-time All-Star big man in Anthony Davis.

The Hawks were encouraged by his strong end to last season, and at the end of the day, he's still a No. 1 overall pick. Now is not the time to give up on him, and they could end up trying to keep him as a marquee piece of their young core.

This not only shows that Davis' value isn't as high as fans had hoped, but the Hawks are going to play hard ball until the February 5 trade deadline rolls around. They don't seem willing to give up any assets of value, and the Mavericks could get stuck with keeping him until the offseason.

Dallas shouldn't just trade him to trade him, as they have to get the most value back possible for him, and Atlanta doesn't seem like they're going to do that at this point. Things could dramatically change over the next few weeks, as the Hawks could just be taking this stance in an attempt to gain leverage in trade conversations, but things aren't looking as promising as they originally did to bring Risacher to Dallas.