As expected, potential No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has submitted paperwork to the NBA to make himself eligible for the 2024 draft, he tells Jonathan Givony of ESPN.
A 6’10” French forward who turned 19 in early April, Risacher has been playing professionally in his home country since 2021. He spent this season with JL Bourg, which competes in France’s top league (LNB Pro A) and finished as the runner-up in this year’s EuroCup tournament.
Risacher was excellent during EuroCup competition, averaging 13.1 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game with a .566/.561/.659 shooting line in 17 games (24.0 MPG), per Basketball-Reference. He has put up 9.7 PPG, 3.5 RPG and 1.0 APG on .426/.341/.721 shooting in 27 LNB Pro A contests.
Givony describes Risacher as a prospect who plays “mistake-free, intelligent” basketball on both ends of the court, noting that he has shown good range on his jump shot and strong versatility on defense. He would be a good fit on virtually any NBA roster and still has plenty of room to continue developing, Givony adds.
“There are a lot of things I can bring an NBA team,” Risacher said. “First of all — my number one strength is my shooting. Then my defensive ability after that. And lastly, my ability to do what’s asked of me, using my versatility — I can rebound, handle the ball if needed, finish above the rim, pass the ball. Whatever you ask me to do I will do it and do it well.”
Risacher has been the No. 1 prospect on ESPN’s big board for the last several updates, having surpassed fellow Frenchman Alexandre Sarr earlier this year.
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