Atlanta Hawks wing Zaccharie Risacher had a very disappointing second season. (Mandatory Credit: Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
We’re only one round through, but if these playoffs have revealed anything, the Miami Heat are nowhere near contention. And by “nowhere near,” I mean it feels as if the two are playing two completely different sports in two different universes.
Coming off a 43-win campaign, the Heat enter a pivotal summer where important conversations will need to be had. Seismic changes must come, or else their fortune in a wide-open East will remain the same.
But that doesn’t mean they also can’t improve around the margins. One area that they must improve is asset management. Their stubbornness is their own worst enemy, but one way to circumvent their reluctance to sell players for assets is to buy low on others.
One name who could make some sense is Atlanta Hawks’ former No. 1 overall pick Zaccharie Risacher. Let’s explain why.
Why the Miami Heat taking a flier on Zaccharie Risacher could make some sense:
(Mandatory Credit: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Getting drafted No. 1 overall comes with incredibly lofty expectations that few ever meet. For Risacher, who was taken with the top overall pick two seasons ago, he’s fallen well below the Mendoza line through two seasons.
The recently-turned 21-year-old endured a sophomore slump after a promising end to his rookie season. In 2025-26, he averaged just 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds on 45.5 percent shooting and 55.7 percent true shooting. He was omitted from Quin Snyder’s rotation by season’s end, having difficulty getting run in “garbage time,” so to speak.
Though there’s a world where taking a flier on him makes sense for the Heat.
For one, buying low on a player (via trade) is not a trend the Heat have typically followed over the last several years. Davion Mitchell and Terry Rozier were playing some of their best basketball upon getting acquired; Andrew Wiggins was contributing in Golden State; the Heat took advantage of a lackluster asking price from Los Angeles/Utah in the Norman Powell deal.
The closest examples are Victor Oladipo, acquired ahead of the 2020-21 trade deadline, and Simone Fontecchio, a byproduct of last summer’s Duncan Robinson sign-and-trade. Both players were coming off injuries at the time of their deals, where neither rehabilitated their value enough to parlay for superior value later on (Fontecchio’s a free agent now).
In Risacher’s case, he just played poorly.
He finished second in Rookie of the Year voting in 2024-25, averaging 15.4 points and 3.4 rebounds on 52.4/39.3/70.6 shooting splits, including a pair of 36- and 38-point performances over the team’s final 10 games.
Over his two-year career, the lanky 6-foot-8 wing has shown legitimate flashes as a:
Spot-up 3-point shooter (37.3 percent over first two seasons)
Play finisher in transition
Team defender, where he’s posted above-average block percentages and defensive rebounding rates for his position
There are still plenty of things he must improve. His contact balance is poor, largely due to his lack of upper body/core strength; he’s not a good passer, and his ballhandling in the halfcourt remains very shaky.
His fit in this new offense wouldn’t be clear-cut. In a perfect world, if the Heat take a swing on Risacher, they’d need to glue him with a lead guard who can optimize him. That’s where I believe Jakucionis would be the best in-house candidate.
Risacher will be on contract for $13.8 million this year with a $17.4 million team option in 2026-27. He’ll allocate for 8.3 and 10.0 percent of the cap in those two seasons, respectively.
All that said, this is the cheapest he’ll ever be. And he has just enough functional tools to take a flier at an inexpensive cost; I know the Heat wouldn’t, but building some of his value back up and moving in 1-1.5 seasons would make a lot of sense if the organization didn’t want to pay him (he becomes extension eligible after 2026-27).
This year was a completely different story from last. But in this fake scenario, he’d have an opportunity to change the tune with one of the best developmental organizations in the NBA if he bought in.
At the end of the day, it’s all about the cost of said player. But would you take the flier?! Let us know in the comments!
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