Projected No. 1 Pick Zaccharie Risacher Declares for 2024 NBA Draft

The 19-year-old prospect played for JL Bourg in France this season.
NBA Draft
NBA Draft / David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

One of the top players in the 2024 NBA draft has officially declared. On Monday, French prospect Zaccharie Risacher told ESPN he submitted his paperwork to enter this year's draft. The young wing played for JL Bourg in France this past season and sounded quite excited about the possibility of ending up in the NBA.

"It's always been my dream to get to the best league in the world," Risacher told ESPN. "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."

Risacher is the projected No. 1 pick in the latest mock draft by ESPN draft guru Jonathan Givony. He is still in the midst of his season with JL Bourg and is averaging 10.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game. Most exciting for NBA teams is his deep shooting. Risacher is averaging 39% from beyond the arc this year, a good mark but especially impressive for a 6-foot-10 forward at his age.

While Givony currently has Risacher as the top selection, the final draft order has yet to be determined. The lottery will take place on May 12. In a draft without a consensus top prospect, what teams will be picking at the top will play a big factor in how it all shakes out.

Risacher boasts a strong profile to be considered at the top. No team can ever have enough long, athletic players who can shoot, after all. He has clearly positioned himself well and we should expect to hear his name called early on draft night in June.


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Liam McKeone

LIAM MCKEONE

Liam McKeone is a senior writer for the Breaking and Trending News team at Sports Illustrated. He has been in the industry as a content creator since 2017, and prior to joining SI in May 2024, McKeone worked for NBC Sports Boston and The Big Lead. In addition to his work as a writer, he has hosted the Press Pass Podcast covering sports media and The Big Stream covering pop culture. A graduate of Fordham University, he is always up for a good debate and enjoys loudly arguing about sports, rap music, books and video games. McKeone has been a member of the National Sports Media Association since 2020.