NBA Draft 2024: France’s Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr go 1 and 2 to Hawks and Wizards
The Atlanta Hawks have selected forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No 1 overall pick of the 2024 NBA Draft on Wednesday night.
Risacher comes out of France, where he most recently played for JL Bourg-en-Bresse of LNB Elite, the country’s premier division of professional basketball.
France landed three players in the top six in a historic night for the country.
“That’s amazing,” Risacher said. “We try to represent our country and so, glad to be a part of it. You know there is more players coming in.”
Risacher does not come with the enormous height or hype of Victor Wembanyama, the towering centre who went to San Antonio last year and went on to win the Rookie of the Year award.
But the Hawks saw him as the best choice in what has been viewed as a draft absent of elite talent.
The 19-year-old forward was the winner of the best young player award in the French League last season and beat out fellow Frenchman Alex Sarr in the race to be the top pick.
When he did, it made NBA draft history. This is the first time that the draft has gone consecutive years without the No 1 pick being someone who played at an American college.
“Shows the amount of talent we have in France,” Sarr said. “Really excited for Zach. I think our national team is going to be really good.”
Sarr went second to the Washington Wizards after playing last year with Perth in Australia’s National Basketball League.
Atlanta does not own another pick in this year’s draft, which has been split into two days.
Wednesday’s first round is being held at Barclays Center in New York. ESPN’s Seaport District Studios – also in New York – will host the second round.
Hong Kong’s David Muoka has declared for the draft and could be picked up on the second day.
In 32 games last season, Risacher averaged 10.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 0.9 assists for JL Bourg. The 19-year-old is 6-foot-9 (2.05 metres) and weighed in at 195lbs (88.5kg) at the draft combine back in May.
According to Spotrac, Risacher will sign a four-year, US$57.2 million contract with the Hawks.
Sarr has leaned on his brother, Oklahoma City Thunder centre Olivier Sarr, for guidance as he prepares to play the next level.
“He’s shared a lot with me,” Alexandre Sarr told ESPN. “Everything I’ve learned is through him and he gave me all his knowledge, and to this day it’s really special to have someone like him in my corner.”
Kentucky’s Reed Sheppard went to the Houston Rockets at No 3, while UConn’s Stephon Castle landed with the San Antonio Spurs at No 4.
Ron Holland II of G League Ignite, who will be joining the Detroit Pistons, rounded out the top five.
In his lone season with the Wildcats, Sheppard posted averages of 12.5 points, 4.5 assists and 4.1 boards across 33 games.
Castle also spent just one season at the collegiate level, helping the Huskies secure their second straight national title by recording 11.1 points, 4.7 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game.
Holland appeared in 14 games this past season. He averaged 20.6 points, 6.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 2.5 steals.
After another Frenchman, Tidjane Salaun, was taken by the Charlotte Hornets at No 6, the Portland Trail Blazers grabbed big man Donovan Clingan. Clingan was a two-time champion with the Huskies in his only two seasons of college basketball.
San Antonio then had the eighth overall pick, and they opted to go with guard Rob Dillingham out of Kentucky. Dillingham is reportedly being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Purdue centre Zach Edey, a two-time National Player of the Year, landed with the Memphis Grizzlies at No 9. Edey averaged 25.2 points, 12.2 rebounds and 2.2 blocks last season.
Another Thunder player will be playing alongside his brother in the NBA, as the Utah Jazz selected Colorado’s Cody Williams with the 10th overall pick. Williams is the brother of Oklahoma City guard/forward Jalen Williams.
Matas Buzelis, a native of Chicago, will be staying in his hometown after the Bulls took him at No 11 from the G League Ignite. Serbian Nikola Topic then went to Oklahoma City, Providence’s Devin Carter went to the Sacramento Kings and Pitt’s Bub Carrington was selected by Portland but will be heading to the Washington Wizards.
The Blazers traded the 14th overall pick earlier Wednesday as part of a package to acquire Deni Avdija from the Wizards.
Outside the lottery, the Miami Heat snatched Kel’el Ware of Indiana with the 15th overall pick, the Philadelphia 76ers took Duke’s Jared McCain at No 16 and Tennessee’s Dalton Knecht went to the Los Angeles Lakers, who had the 17th overall pick.
The Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors and Cleveland Cavaliers had the next three picks, selecting Colorado’s Tristan da Silva, Baylor’s Ja’Kobe Walter and California’s Jaylon Tyson, respectively.
