New favorite for top pick of 2024 NBA Draft, and it’s likely someone you’ve never heard of

Unless you’re a real NBA Draft nerd or a huge JL Bourg-en-Bresse fan (who? exactly), then you’ve probably never heard of the player expected to be selected first overall in two days.

The 2024 NBA Draft has been repeatedly questioned, called the worst of all many times, and that lack of enthusiasm is understandable when you look at the top of the draft. For weeks, Alexandre Sarr was the favorite to finish first overall. About a month ago, basketball fans had probably never heard of Sarr, a big man from France.

Sarr was replaced late last week as the betting favorite to go first in the NBA Draft by Zaccharie Risacher, another French player you probably haven’t heard of. Risacher is a heavy -225 favorite to take first overall at BetMGM.

We’ve had disappointing NBA Drafts before. It’s weird that the first pick is virtually unknown to all but the most die-hard basketball fans.

Will Zacharie Risacher be the first choice?

Just because Risacher is unknown doesn’t mean he won’t be a good player in the NBA. The Atlanta Hawks have the No. 1 pick in this oft-derided draft and if the odds change is correct, Risacher will be headed there.

It’s just that Risacher is a mystery, as is Sarr. Other international players who are set to take first overall usually have rumors surrounding them, most notably Victor Wembanyama last year. This might be the first time most NBA fans tune in to the draft and learn about the first overall pick.

Risacher is a 6-9 forward who can shoot well from behind the 3-point line. He averaged 11.1 points last season for the French team JL Bourg-en-Bresse, whose home stadium It has capacity for 3,548 people. Risacher has some upside if he bulks up, and that makes him stand out in this draft class. Late last week there were reports that Risacher would be the top pick, and that caused BetMGM’s odds to change.

Soon, Risacher could be part of the all-time list of names who went No. 1 in the NBA Draft, even if many fans don’t know him a couple of days before he was chosen.

Another odds change for the No. 1 pick

The odds change on Risacher is not the first time the betting market has dramatically moved draft odds in the days or hours before the first pick occurs.

The betting market’s trend toward being ahead of the first pick in the NBA or NFL draft has slowed down lately, but that was mainly because picks like Caleb Williams and Wembanyama were obvious. This year’s NBA Draft has no consensus on the best player, meaning the draft odds would surely vary a bit before the pick was made.

There’s still time for another turn. For a while there were rumors that UConn big man Donovan Clingan could be the top pick. Casual basketball fans have probably heard that name, if they watch March Madness at all.

But for now, the market seems to believe that Risacher will be the choice. Then we can start learning everything about it.