Mavericks' perfect Anthony Davis trade return is slipping away

Dallas Mavericks fans have been excited about the opportunity of the team trading for Zaccharie Risacher of the Atlanta Hawks in an Anthony Davis trade, but it looks like the chances of that happening could be lower than expected following Sam Amick of The Athletic's latest report. The Hawks are heavily interested in trading for Davis, but Risacher may not be as expendable (subscription required) as originally expected.

"While the Mavericks are known to be pushing for young prospects (and expiring contracts) in talks relating to Davis, Hawks sources pushed back hard on reports that they’d be willing to include 2024 No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher," Amick reported.

He has not developed at the rate that the Hawks would've hoped for at this point, but on the other hand, that doesn't mean that they're ready to give up on him just yet. Atlanta still has hope in his future, noting his strong close to his rookie season as one of the key reasons for this, and the Hawks aren't just going to give him up for nothing.

Zaccharie Risacher may be off-limits in Anthony Davis trade talks

He was the No. 1 overall pick in 2024 for a reason, and while that draft class was extremely weak, he still has the potential to grow into a high-level starter. Risacher hasn't been that to this point, but he has plenty of time to improve.

If the Hawks are extremely against trading Risacher, then the Mavericks are going to have to find a different way to milk as much value out of Atlanta if they trade Davis there. These rumblings could just be the Hawks trying to gain leverage and drive Risacher's value up, but at the end of the day, it's widely known that he's having a rough season.

His role in Quin Snyder's rotation is diminishing, and he has played poorly ever since his name emerged in trade rumors at the end of last week. Over the last five games, Risacher is averaging just 8.0 points and 3.8 rebounds per game while shooting 41.7 percent from the field, and his play is declining at the worst time for Atlanta.

The Hawks have lost 11 of their last 14 games, and they're slipping in the Eastern Conference standings. After being ranked as highly as the No. 3 seed in the East in the middle of November, they've fallen all the way to the No. 10 seed at 16-19.

Their recent struggles could be a major reason that they're eyeing a trade for Davis, and keeping Risacher out of this potential deal seems to be their goal for the time being. This doesn't mean that they will succeed, as Dallas deserves fair value for their star big man, but the Hawks could see him as someone they'd like to keep around moving forward.

Despite this, Atlanta isn't ready to give up on him. The future is looking bright with Jalen Johnson, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Dyson Daniels, Onyeka Okongwu, and Trae Young (if they don't trade him) at the core. They also own the New Orleans Pelicans' highly-coveted 2026 first-round pick, and Risacher deserves a little more time before being labeled a bust.

The Hawks not shopping Risacher hard as once expected is awful news for Dallas, as young prospects are one of their top priorities in any Anthony Davis trade. Young players, along with expiring contracts, are two of the things that the Mavericks want as badly as anything if they're going to move on from Davis, and Risacher potentially getting from these talks is unfortunate for Dallas.

Atlanta is obviously the most interested team in trading for Davis at this juncture, and Risacher is likely someone the Mavs will push for if these talks pick up. Time will tell if the Hawks are bluffing or not with their stance on Risacher, and many Mavericks fans will be hoping that they are, as Risacher, expiring contracts, and first-round draft capital may be the best possible return for Davis at this point.