FOLLOW DRAFT RESULTS LIVE
Frenchman Zaccharie Risacher was selected first in the NBA draft on Wednesday by the Atlanta Hawks, succeeding his compatriot Victor Wembanyama, who came first in the 2023 edition.
His compatriot Alexandre Sarr was then claimed in the second level by the Washington Wizards, offering an unprecedented double in the history of French basketball.
Toronto’s Zach Edey, who shone with Purdue, was drafted ninth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies.
Risacher is a 19-year-old, 6-foot-8-and-a-half winger. He joins an already competitive team that came close to the playoffs last season, a rarity in a system that typically favors poorer franchises for the top pick.
France thus becomes the third country, after the United States and Canada, to have prospects chosen No. 1 in two consecutive years.
It is the conclusion of a successful season for the ASVEL player, who had taken the gamble of a loan to Bourg-en-Bresse.
In Ain, the youngest Frenchman to have played in the Euroleague (16 years and 10 months) benefited from significant playing time (23 minutes on average) and took on a new dimension.
He notably progressed on the perimeter and showed that he did not fear physical contact against seasoned players, older than him.
He completed this campaign by raising the tone in the playoffs, with 14 points on average and a peak of 28 points.
The Hawks have, in fact, the maverick Trae Young, the versatile back Dejounte Murray, both of whom have already been selected to the All-Star game, as well as the promising young winger Jalen Johnson (22 years old).
Risacher cites his father, Stéphane Risacher, a former international silver medalist at the Sydney Olympic Games in 2000, as his first influence.
The two share a natural elegance and extraordinary fluidity of movement.
Although he has already been a two-time world medalist in youth categories, Zaccharie Risacher was nevertheless not included in the extended selection for the Paris Games.
He will therefore be able to devote himself fully to his integration into the NBA.
Unlike Risacher, who was entirely trained in France, Sarr has multiplied destinations, from the Real Madrid youth teams to the Australian NBL league, via the American youth training system Overtime Elite.
Last season, Sheppard showed a 52.1% success rate on three-pointers.
He was the only player in the NCAA with at least 145 assists, 80 steals and 75 three-pointers.
Houston made progress in 2023-24, amassing a 41-41 record with the likes of Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks and new coach Ime Udoka.
In the previous three seasons, the Rockets had only won 17, 20 and 22 games.
The seven-foot-four Edey was named the NCAA player of the year for the second year in a row.
In his final season with the Boilermakers, he averaged 25.2 points and 12.2 rebounds. Purdue lost to the Huskies in the March Madness final.
