The Atlanta Hawks selected JL Bourg forward Zaccharie Risacher with the No. 1 pick Wednesday, making him the second 19-year-old Frenchman to be taken first in the NBA Draft in as many years.
Risacher, 6-foot-9, averaged nearly 11 points and four rebounds per game in France’s top pro league last season. He followed in the footsteps of Parisian sensation Victor Wembanyama by having NBA commissioner Adam Silver call his name at the start of the draft in New York.
Beyond their shared nationality, however, Risacher’s path to the Hawks and the top spot in the draft was almost nothing like the path Wembanyama blazed last summer in going first to San Antonio.
Whereas Wembanyama, the 7-foot-4, never-seen-anything-like-him budding superstar was the presumptive top pick for months leading up to the 2023 draft, there was no consensus No. 1 prospect this year. As late as this week, NBA scouts and league executives were unsure about who the Hawks would choose. Atlanta selected Risacher from a muddled top tier that included another French up-and-comer, 7-footer Alex Sarr, Connecticut center Donovan Clingan and wing Stephon Castle, and Kentucky guard Reed Sheppard.
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Risacher comes to an Atlanta franchise in which the biggest star — Trae Young — could be on the trading block, but where there is room for Risacher to compete for playing time on the wing. While 6-foot-8 forward Jalen Johnson averaged 16 points and 8.7 rebounds last season and is only 22, Sadiq Bey is a restricted free agent coming off a torn knee ligament, and the Hawks are seeking to trade De’Andre Hunter. Atlanta finished 36-46 and in 10th in the East, and were bounced out of the Play-In tournament in the first round.
Risacher was born in Malaga, Spain, but grew up in Lyon, France, and his father was a French Olympian and silver medalist in basketball in 2000. Risacher was a member of France’s U19 World Cup championship team last summer, and played for JL Bourg last season, shooting nearly 39 percent from 3-point range. His team played in France’s top pro league and in a second division of teams competing all across Europe.
For the first time, the NBA Draft is being held over two nights, with Round 1 scheduled for Wednesday at the Barclays Center and Round 2 on Thursday. While most draft experts consider this year’s class to be weak at the top, they also say the depth of the class is more on par with previous drafts. Among the biggest draft storylines set to unfold is the status of Lakers star LeBron James’ son, Bronny, who is in the draft after just one season at USC.
Who takes the 19-year-old Bronny, and in which round, will spark enormous interest and likely inspire chatter about where his dad — arguably the greatest player ever and the NBA’s all-time scoring champ — goes as a free agent this summer.
This story will be updated.
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