For the second year in a row, a Frenchman can take the No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft, as projected No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher has submitted his official paperwork to the league, according to a new report.
Risacher, 19, is a 6-foot-10 forward who plays for JL Bourg in the French Pro A League.
And with about two months left until the draft, he said ESPN on Monday that is declared for the event.
“It’s always been my dream to get to the best league in the world,” Risacher said.
‘I’ve been working for this since I was a kid. JL Bourg has given me an incredible opportunity to show what I can do. It has 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 be number one overall
Victor Wembanyama was drafted 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 entry into the draft comes 14 months after the Spurs selected French phenom Victor Wembanyama.
The incredibly talented 7-foot-4 center had a tremendous rookie season, in which he averaged 21.4 points, a league-leading 3.6 blocks, and earned a Defensive Player of the Year nomination. He is also expected to be named Rookie of the Year.
If Risacher does indeed make it to the No. 1 spot, he’ll most likely land with the Pistons or Wizards, who finished with the two worst records in the league and have the same 14 percent chance of winning the NBA Draft Lottery. .
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) aren’t far behind, while the Wembanyama Spurs have the fifth-best odds at 10.5 percent.
In addition to Wembanyama, Risacher will join France’s Bilal Coulibaly (last year’s No. 7 pick), Rayan Rupert (No. 43 overall in 2023) and Sidy Cissoko (No. 44 overall) as recent recruits.
Another Frenchman, former Knicks draft pick Frederic Weis, made headlines when he criticized the Sixers’ Joel Embiid for snubbing France in favor of Team USA before the Paris Games.
Alexandre Sarr, another Frenchman who stands over two meters tall, is also expected to be in the top five.