For the second straight year, a Frenchman may go No. 1 overall in the NBA Draft, as projected top pick Zaccharie Risacher has submitted his official paperwork to the league according to a new report.
Risacher, 19, is a 6-foot-10 forward playing for JL Bourg in the French Pro A League.
And with the draft roughly two months away, he told ESPN on Monday that he’s declared for the event.
‘It’s always been my dream to get to the best league in the world,’ Risacher said.
‘I’ve been putting the work in for this since I was a kid. JL Bourg has given me an incredible opportunity to showcase what I can do. It’s been the perfect place to start my young career. I’m really grateful to have the opportunity to play for this organization.’
Zaccharie Risacher could be the second consecutive Frenchman to go No. 1 overall
![Victor Wembanyama was selected by the Spurs last year and dominated in his rookie season](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/22/22/83960427-13338113-image-m-4_1713821010058.jpg)
Victor Wembanyama was selected by the Spurs last year and dominated in his rookie season
This season, Risacher is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game, while shooting 39 percent from three.
Of course, Risacher’s entrance into the draft comes 14 months after French phenom Victor Wembanyama was selected by the Spurs.
The freakishly talented 7-foot-4 center went on to have a tremendous rookie season, in which he averaged 21.4 points, a league-leading 3.6 blocks and earned a nomination for Defensive Player of the Year. He is also expected to be named Rookie of the Year.
If Risacher does indeed go No. 1, he’s most likely to land with the Pistons or Wizards, who finished with the two worst records in the league and have an equal 14 percent chance of winning NBA Draft Lottery.
![Risacher is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this year for JL Bourg](https://i.dailymail.co.uk/1s/2024/04/22/22/83960555-13338113-image-a-2_1713820968356.jpg)
Risacher is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game this year for JL Bourg
The Trail Blazers (13.3 percent) and Hornets (13.2 percent) are not far behind, while Wembanyama’s Spurs have the fifth-best odds at 10.5 percent.
Aside from Wembanyama, Risacher is set to join Frenchmen Bilal Coulibaly (last year’s No. 7 pick), Rayan Rupert (No. 43 overall in 2023) and Sidy Cissoko (No. 44 overall) as recent draftees.
Another Frenchman, former Knicks draft bust Frederic Weis, made headlines when he slammed the Sixers’ Joel Embiid for snubbing France in favor of Team USA ahead of the Paris Games.
Alexandre Sarr, yet another Frenchman who stands over seven feet, is also expected to be taken among the top-five picks.
***
Read more at DailyMail.co.uk