If Chicago Bulls Executive VP of Basketball Operations Arturas Karnisovas is on the fence about trading Coby White, he just received the nudge (or perhaps shove) he needs to make a decision. The Atlanta Hawks are reportedly willing to trade Zaccharie Risacher, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and a swap of the two players makes too much sense to ignore.
Rumors involving White have been swirling for weeks, and they're only picking up steam. The 25-year-old is one of the best guards on the trade market at the moment. He would be a solid fit for teams like the Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves (who have already shown interest).
He would also make sense in Atlanta as the Hawks try to rearrange their roster around emerging superstar wing Jalen Johnson.
Now is the time for Karnisovas to strike.
Bulls can trade Coby White to Atlanta Hawks for Zaccharie Risacher
Chicago's current regime is allergic to logical decisions. The Bulls have been too mediocre for too long and too afraid to embrace a rebuild. It shouldn't come as a shock that Billy Donovan's group sits one game under .500 and smack dab in the middle of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament race.
With an aversion to tanking, the Bulls remain stuck in NBA limbo: Too bad to contend yet too good to land a truly valuable draft pick. Considering Chicago isn't a top free agent destination either, trading for a player like Risacher is the best opportunity the franchise will have to land a premium prospect.
According to insider Marc Stein via The Stein Line substack, Atlanta has made Risacher available as he's "not developed as the Hawks would have hoped to this point."
Risacher was the top pick in an underwhelming draft class, and it's already clear he was the wrong choice. Stephon Castle went three picks later to the San Antonio Spurs and won the Rookie of the Year Award. Alex Sarr (No. 2) and Reed Sheppard (No. 3) both seem like better selections. So does the Bulls' first-round pick, Matas Buzelis.
Risacher has been a disappointment in year two, and the Hawks appear ready to cut bait. But their loss could be the Bulls' gain.
The runner-up for Rookie of the Year last season is a prototypical 3-and-D prospect. Risacher is a legitimate 6-foot-9 with an aesthetically pleasing shooting stroke and the potential to develop into a smart, switchable defender. He does damage as a transition scorer and spot-up shooter and is willing to move the ball within the offense and make the extra pass. He's still just 20 years old.
A rangy, potential-laden, versatile 3-and-D forward is the exact archetype Karnisovas currently covets. If he does decide to trade White, acquiring a prospect like Risacher makes perfect sense, and may not actually be completely out of the realm of possibility.