Zaccharie Risacher admitted he was surprised by the Atlanta Hawks trading him to the Dallas Mavericks after his first NBA season, despite being told he had exceeded expectations.
The 2024 No. 1 overall pick discussed the move, explaining that he never received a clear indication that his future in Atlanta was uncertain.
“I feel like I had a good first season. I was told I exceeded expectations. It was really surprising to me, this second season, I didn’t really know what was happening,” Risacher said. “I also was told the NBA was really competitive and it’s a part of the game. Someday you could be somebody who’s valuable and another day…”
Risacher spent his first two NBA seasons with Atlanta before being traded to Dallas during the offseason. Rather than dwelling on the circumstances of the move, the 21-year-old is focused on making the most of his opportunity with the Mavericks.
“It’s been good overall. I’ve learned a lot from my two seasons,” Risacher said during the Media Day. “Just being able to play at a high level and competing every night has been great. I’m super excited about this new chapter of my NBA career. Feel like it’s going to be great.”
Risacher has already embraced Dallas’ efforts to establish chemistry before training camp. The Mavericks spent part of the summer together in Los Angeles, giving the young roster an opportunity to develop relationships away from the court.
“I feel like we can say we’re really trying to build something different. We’re building chemistry early in the year and I feel like that’s going to be super helpful for us through the season,” Risacher said.
The forward also outlined the different ways he hopes to contribute. Rather than limiting himself to one role, Risacher wants to impact games through defense, rebounding, transition play and shooting.
“I feel like first of all I’m a versatile player, so I want to bring a lot of things,” Risacher said. “I’m going to talk about defense, rebounding, running transition, playing hard. Obviously my shooting too.”
He also expects playing off the ball to be important in Dallas.
“Just be able to affect the game many ways. Play off the ball obviously too. That’s going to be a big thing for us as a team,” Risacher said. “Overall, I’m willing to do whatever it takes to win.”
Risacher averaged 9.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 67 games for Atlanta last season, shooting 45.5% from the field and 36.8% from three-point range.
His transition to Dallas will also include playing alongside Kyrie Irving, something Risacher views as an opportunity to learn from one of the NBA’s established stars.
“I’m looking forward to play with Kyrie too. Obviously, an amazing player and I feel like I can learn a lot from him on and off the court too,” he said.
Risacher also praised former Hawks teammate Trae Young for his support throughout his career.
“Shout out to Trae. Shout out to Trae. During my whole NBA career, been there for me since day one. So I really appreciate him for that,” Risacher said.
The French forward believes joining an organization that wanted him has provided additional motivation as he enters his third NBA season.
“It’s been huge for me too, be able to see that I’m a part of an organization where they wanted me to be here and to succeed too,” Risacher said. “That’s a big motivation for me.”
He added: “I know what I can do. I feel like for me especially, I’m in the right position to be good, to be great.”
